Break the limits
by I AM YOU
Summary: AU. This is one hero's journey to be the best there ever was. Watch as he defies the odds and become the legend he was meant to be. Starts at the end of the lily of the valley conference then transitions later to Kalos. Amourshipping/Childhoodshipping
1. Chapter 1

Now let me guess? A Pokemon story? Don't you have other fics to prioritize?

…Okay I was dragged back into the Pokemon fandom after I got my 3ds and started playing X/Y first then OR/AS next. My competitive nature got the better of me and I ended up completing the pokedex (that's right all 720 something of those little bastards). I felt like I earned that 1000 pesos…what? Don't judge me…(to a Filipino, that's pretty decent money)

Anywaaay while playing these games, it managed to also reignite my interest in the Pokemon anime. Best wishes didn't live up to my expectations with how it ended the league but I am totally loving X/Y. While it's not perfect but I feel that the writers are doing a much better job than last season.

Okay back on topic, some quick notes before I begin the story:

A.)Like most fanfiction, this is AU. That means I'll be having the privilege of screwing with the timeline and other canon plot points or whatever.

B.)The story starts at the sinnoh league conference but with a few tweaks. For example, Ash and Paul's battle happened at the semi-finals so that means Ash will be facing Tobias in the finals.

C.)Best wishes will unfortunately be glossed over in the mean time so I can progress to the Kalos plot of the story. (but may be continued as a sequel if I ever get that far…hopefully)

D.)Characters have aged since season one. Yes, that means no rated T or higher moments between ten year olds.

Lolicons and Shotacons: Booo!

Also no Lemons. I don't write porno . Go to adult or whatever if you want to satisfy yourselves.

Perverts and closet perverts: Booo!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. No Harems, period.

Men of all ages (and some women): you son of a-

Nope. No harems, I don't write harems. My reasons are already in my profile. This will be pure Amourshipping only(maybe some one-sided ships too but no harems).

E.)While there is shipping in this story, it will not be the main focus as this is going to be a Pokemon ADVENTURE fic and not a Pokemon ROMANCE fic. If anything, the romance will take a backseat but not completely forgotten. (not too quick or not too long when it comes to development)

G.)The age where you can be recognized as Pokemon trainer is bumped to twelve years old so the time line would be:

Kanto – orange islands: 12

Johto: 13

Hoenn: 14

Kanto battle frontier: 15

Sinnoh: 16

Okay, that about wraps everything up. Enjoy the story guys.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon/Pocket monsters. The guy who runs Nintendo and gamefreak does…yeeeah I couldn't think of anything witty enough. Meh. I'll just save it for the story.

CHAPTER I: Heroes versus Legends

One particular raven haired teen let out a small wistful sigh as he gazed at the empty stadium. An empty stadium, soon to be filled with people. People who would be cheering for the next champion of this year's conference…

The young man's grip on the rails then tightened as reality finally settled in. 'Tomorrow is the finals. The _finals._ Heh, I can't believe it. It almost seems too good to be true…'

Without knowing it, the young trainer's thoughts shifted into more darker territory. 'W-What if I screw up tomorrow? What if I fail?-' The raven haired teen narrowed his eyes as he envisioned the titans his team would be facing. They were literally living legends."-What if we lose…?"

"Hmph. I didn't think you were the type to sulk Ash."

Widening both his eyes in response, the now revealed Ash then faced the familiar voice and came face-to-face with his current rival, Paul. The raven haired teen was quick to plaster on a reassuring grin. "Oh h-hey Paul! What's up? I was just clearing my head out for tomorrow…ahehe."

"…"

"You're not buying me are you?"

In a rare candid moment, Paul gave his fellow trainer a smirk. A non-condescending smirk that showed there was no malicious intent behind his gesture. "I wasn't born yesterday Ketchum. Now spill. You're not the kind of guy who mopes around."

Internally glad for the brief distraction from his thoughts, Ash returned the favor with an honest-to-good smile to his rival-slash-frenemy. "And from what I recall, you don't exactly like playing the good guy either, right Paul? See? I'm not the only one out of character here."

Paul just dignified the response with a roll of his eyes. "Idiot."

"Jerk."

It wasn't long before Paul let out a small snort while Ash decided to bust a gut and just had a good laugh.

After the brief ice breaker, Ash's somber mood returned as he gazed back at the battlefield. "I-I was just nervous I guess. This isn't my first league competition but this is the farthest I got and then there's Tobias' Darkrai…"

Paul nodded in understanding as he recalled the mysterious trainer's many accomplishments in Sinnoh. "Yeah, conquering the gyms with a single Pokemon is one thing but to have a legendary in your party…it makes you wonder what kind of team he has."

"…"

The purple haired trainer then raised his eyebrow in suspicion at the usually exuberant male. "What? Don't tell me you're actually scared Ketchum? "

Something sparked in Ash's brown eyes as he glared at his rival. "I'm not scared Paul! I said I was nervous! There's a difference y'know!"

Paul just raised both his hands in a calming gesture. "And _that's_ what I'm talking about all this time. I may not know you like your friends Ketchum but I do know this-since when have you ever worried about the smaller details? Just be who you are. That same idiot who fought against the odds. The same idiot who managed to earn my respect."

And just like that, Ash slowly recalled the fond memories of his journey thus far.

Memories of his victories. His losses. His Pokemon. His family and friends…

Ash then sent Paul a grateful smile in return. "Heh. Thanks Paul. I'll just keep on battling the way I can. I owe it to my team and I owe it to everybody I met and believed in me on my journey."

"Hmph. Whatever Ash. I'd just hate to see the guy who beat me embarrass himself in the finals. Don't look into this too much."

Ash's grin just grew wider as Paul decided to finally make his exit. "Hehe. Whatever helps you sleep at night Paul!"

The purple haired trainer then decided to dignify that response with his middle finger raised.

Once he was alone again, Ash shifted his gaze towards the moon with a look of melancholy. "I can't believe I was doubting myself…After all, 'Never give up till the end' right Serena?"

-(scene change)-

"The Final round between Ash Ketchum of Kanto and Tobias Tatum of Sinnoh is underway!"

And with that, the crowd went wild as both trainers made their appearance. Ash and his partner Pikachu looked determined while Tobias exuded confidence with every step. Something which a lot of his fans completely ate up.

"Tobias we love you!"

"Show that Kanto kid who's the boss Tobias!"

"You rule Tobias!"

Meanwhile, Dawn grumbled in her pink cheerleader uniform as she was annoyed with the crowd of fans who were treating her mentor as the underdog. "Geez…some people. Heck, a lot of them were cheering for Ash in his last match too! What's so great about this Tobias guy anyway?"

Brock and Barry then felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of their heads at how the bluenette looked about ready to explode.

Brock could only scratch one of his cheeks in a nervous fashion as he tried to play the devil's advocate. "Well to be fair Dawn, Ash does have his work cut out for him…" Seeing the dejected look on Dawn's face, he was quick to follow up with his statement."-Don't get me wrong Dawn! I have faith in Ash! After all, I've seen him take on legendaries before and he was able to come out on top too."

Said coordinator widened her eyes in awe at that particular info while Barry was literally jumping out of his seat in excitement. "No way! Ash was able to defeat legendary Pokemon before?! Talk about awesome!"

Barry then joined Dawn in her cheering as he wildly pumped his one fist in the air."Go Ash! You better not lose or I'll be forced to fine ya!"

Dawn then let out a small giggle and was quick to follow Barry's lead and resumed her routine as well. "Yeah, Go Ash! Go Ash! If you can't do it then no one can!"

-(scene change)-

Further up in the stadium, a certain purple haired trainer was overseeing the match as Ash finally made his way to position. All that's left was the ref's announcement. "C'mon Ketchum. Show them what you're made off and prove everyone here wrong."

-(scene change: Kanto)-

One Delia Ketchum and her Partner Mimey clasped both their hands together in some sort of prayer as they watched the live footage on television. Only hoping the best for the raven haired youth.

-(scene change)-

A couple of blocks away, the Oak family and one Tracey Sketchit were doing the same as all of them gazed intently at the tv. Surrounding the humans were all of Ash's Pokemon, all of them eager to cheer on their friend/master.

-(scene change)-

In the famous Cerulean city gym, Misty and her sisters were also paying rapt attention as the camera focused on Ash and Pikachu.

The orange haired gym leader also felt a sense of pride at seeing how far the raven haired teen has come after remembering their original adventures.

-(scene change: Johto)-

At a Pokemon center in Goldenrod city, a group of coordinators watched alongside other fans as the tv monitor showcased the Sinnoh league finals.

One particular coordinator stood out the most with her signature green bandana among the crowd.

-(scene change: Hoenn)-

Max alongside his parents were also viewing the upcoming match. Said young boy, practically has stars in his eyes as he watched one of his idols compete for the chance to be the champion of Sinnoh.

-(scene change: Kalos)-

In the small quiet town of Vaniville, A girl with honey colored hair rubbed her bruised back side as she glared at the older woman with brown hair across the living room.

Seeing the glare, the older brunette felt a huge bead of sweat roll down the back of her head. "Oh come on Serena, I think you're overreacting. It's not even that bad."

The now revealed Serena let out a small huff as she took her seat in the living room. "Hmph. Tell that to my aching back. And my face. And-"

Serena's mom could only awkwardly laugh in response and was quick to try and find a suitable distraction. "Ahehe…Why don't we watch some tv Serena? I heard from a friend of mine who's a major battle nut that the Sinnoh league conference is having their final match today."

Said girl then rolled her eyes as she crossed both her arms. "Mom I'm not a kid anymore. I won't be distracted cause you turned on the t-"

" _The Final round between Ash Ketchum of Kanto and Tobias Tatum of Sinnoh is underway!"_

And just like that, Serena was quick to turn her full attention to the tv monitor. 'N-No way! Is it really _him?!'_

The camera then focused on Tobias before shifting to Ash and Pikachu. Serena's face then broke out into a huge smile. "It is him! Mom, it's Ash! Ash from Pallet town!"

Serena's mom felt her eyes widen in response as she recognized the young man on tv too. "Wow you're right Serena! Wasn't he your best friend back in Kanto?"

Serena absentmindedly nodded with a small blush on her cheeks as she remembered all the times she hung out with the raven haired male before sadly moving away at the age of twelve.

Smiling cheekily, Serena's mother was quick to notice her daughter's dazed expression. "I also seem to remember you had the biggest crush on him. It was adorable how you two were inseparable~"

"Moooom!"

-(scene change: Sinnoh)-

"This will be a full six-on-six battle. Substitutions are allowed. Trainers are you ready?"

Both trainers nodded in response as the board immediately indicated a grass field and signaled that Tobias will be going first.

With a flourish of his cloak, said mysterious trainer sent out his signature Darkrai into the battlefield. The single blue eye peaking from its ghostly plume unnerved everyone watching the battle.

Ash just glared back defiantly at the very embodiment of nightmares and was quick to pluck out a pokeball."Let's go Sceptile!"

In a flash, the green reptilian made his entrance and gave his opponent across him a cocky smirk before putting his signature twig in his mouth.

"Alright both trainer and Pokemon are ready! Now let the battle…begin!"

"Use Dark pulse!"

Gathering the negative energy from its surroundings, Darkrai immediately began its assault with wave-after-wave of dark rings towards his opponent.

In a great show of speed and agility that comes with his form, Sceptile was quick to react and easily weave through the attack and close the gap in a matter of seconds.

Tobias and Darkrai felt their eyes widen while Ash smirked and pumped his fist in excitement. "Alright Sceptile! Now close in and use Leaf blade!"

Narrowing his eyes, Tobias was quick to retaliate. "Don't let them make this a close range fight Darkrai! Fall back and use Ice beam!"

Heeding his trainer's command, the phantom like Pokemon then held out its hand and fired an ice beam once it was at a safe enough distance.

"Don't let up Sceptile! We can't afford to go on the defensive!"

Mentally agreeing with his trainer, said reptile picked up the pace and made sure he didn't lose sight of his target and its attack. He knew his kind of Pokemon weren't built for stamina or defense so the moment he would fall into his enemy's pace then the battle would be over.

Meanwhile, Tobias and the audience marveled at Sceptile's incredible agility and focus. No matter how many times Darkrai spammed its ice beam attack, the green reptile dodged with ease and what's even more amazing, the Hoenn native Pokemon's speed didn't drop even with all the turns it did and finally, not once did Sceptile relinquish the control over his leaf blade.

Unfortunately for Darkrai, using multiple attacks in a row that doesn't coincides with the Pokemon's typing would always put a huge strain on any Pokemon's energy. This applies even to legendaries.

For a single second, Darkrai flinched.

That one moment was enough for both Ash and Sceptile to use. "Yes, it's wide open! Use Agility Sceptile!"

Said Reptile's eyes glowed and knew his body was even lighter and faster than before.

To the crowds shock and awe, Sceptile seemingly vanished into thin air and was quick to reappear right in front of the dark legendary and landed a clean hit with his Leaf blade.

Darkrai's trainer was also in the same state as the crowd considering this is the first time in ever that his phantom like Pokemon was actually _hit._

Tobias was jolted back into reality by his Pokemon's cry but he was too late in recovering and Ash took advantage of this quickly. "Don't lose that rhythm Sceptile! Follow it up with Fury cutter!"

Tobias' cry to his Pokemon was futile as Sceptile effortlessly followed up his attack with his free arm. Darkrai didn't even have enough time to recover after feeling another fury cutter slashed through its torso. And again, again, and again. Thanks to the massive speed boost, Sceptile spared no expense and made no easy openings.

Tobias then gritted his teeth as he saw that for once, he could be on the losing side. It was logical since Fury cutter is a move that gets stronger with each hit and add in the fact that it's also a move that has the type advantage over Darkrai itself. The battle was clearly over.

'Of course, I don't care if it's logical or not… _losing is not an option!_ '

With a flourish of his right hand, Tobias refused to surrender. "Darkrai, I _order_ you to stand your ground! This battle is not over!"

Back on the battlefield, whether it was pride or the fact that he heard his trainer's orders. Darkrai used all his will power and caught the fury cutter with his bare hands.

It was enough to shock Sceptile momentarily and before the green reptile could counter, he was blown away by a close-range Dark pulse.

Seeing that the tables have turned in his favor, Tobias was quick to grab a hold of the opportunity. "Yes, it's over! Use Dark void!"

"No! Sceptile, dodge it!"

Hearing Ash's order, Sceptile tried to force himself to move but flinched due to his injuries. The green reptile growled in frustration as he finally understood the power of a Legendary. All it took was one hit and he felt like he was already in his last legs.

Ash's face paled slightly as he saw the attack connected and felt helpless once he saw Sceptile fast asleep. "Sceptile! C'mon buddy, wake up! Wake up!"

Tobias looked triumphant as he decided to give the final blow. "Finish it Darkrai! Use Dream eater!"

Darkrai then projected an astral form of itself and the spectre like attack then flew towards the helpless reptile.

Ash and Pikachu looked horrified as the attack connected and Sceptile began writhing in his sleep. The raven haired teen then clenched both his fists and refused to give up. "C'mon Sceptile, wake up! Please, I know you can do it! I believe in you! Please, wake up!"

"Pi-Pikachuu!"

Tobias could only shake his head in response to his opponent's cries. "Try all you want Ash but it's impossible to wake up from Darkrai's attack. This battle is mine!"

-(scene change)-

Sceptile felt he was at his lowest as he gazed back at all his past failures. The battles he failed to win. His first love that he failed to win over. And lastly, the home he failed to save.

His will weakened, the green reptile like Pokemon was content in letting the darkness surround him as he closed his eyes…

" _Sceptile! C'mon buddy, wake up! Wake up!"_

The forest Pokemon then widened his eyes as gazed at the small ball of light that suddenly penetrated the darkness around him.

" _C'mon Sceptile, wake up! Please, I know you can do it! I believe in you! Please, wake up!"_

" _Pi-Pikachuu!"_

A fire was lit in Sceptile's eyes after hearing his trainer and fellow Pokemon's words. With a mighty cry, all the darkness around him was repelled by a blinding green light.

-(scene change)-

Back in the real world, everyone was shocked as the previously downed Sceptile awoke with its species' signature cry and with will power alone, the green reptile repelled the dream eater attack with a spike of green aura that suddenly engulfed his entire form.

Once more, before Tobias or even Darkrai could process what just happened, Sceptile gathered all his energy into the palm of his one claw and slammed it down to the earth.

What followed was astonishing as multiple tree like appendages with thorns sprouted from below and proceeded to impale the shocked Legendary.

After a mini explosion, a defeated Darkrai crashed to the earth much to everybody's shock.

The entire stadium was dead silent, even Ash. Everyone was still processing what happened in the last few seconds.

After the initial shock, every man, woman, and Pokemon watching erupted into frenzied cheers. What they witnessed was amazing. What they witnessed was the impossible. They witnessed the fall of a legend…

Meanwhile, Ash couldn't be happier for his Pokemon. "You were awesome Sceptile! I can't believe you learned Frenzy plant at the last moment!"

Sceptile just lazily gave a thumbs up in return to his trainer.

Wordlessly, Tobias recalled his fallen Darkrai with a crestfallen look before quickly shifting back into his self-assured persona. "Well I must say Ash, I'm impressed. No one has been able to defeat my Darkrai before. You and your Sceptile are quite a pair."

Ash beamed at the praise but was still on guard because of his opponent's smirk.

Tobias then simply flicked another Pokeball towards the field. His smirk widening as the Pokemon slowly materialized. "But I wonder how well you can handle another legendary?!"

The raven haired trainer then gritted his teeth as he recognized his opponent's Pokemon while the crowd went nuts at another living legend makes its appearance.

"I-I don't believe it folks! It's the legendary Pokemon-Latios! Just how many Legendary Pokemon does Tobias have? Can Ash and his team still secure another win or is this the start of Tobias' comeback?!"

CHAPTER I: END

To be continued in: Heroes vs Legends II

Well what do you think of the first chapter so far? Good? Bad? So-so? Then review please. Feedback is highly appreciated. I also take constructive criticism since this is my first Pokemon fic. 

Flames however are a different story so I better not hear some bs how this story sucks without a good reason.

Some more notes before I end the story:

a.)Yes Ash is human enough to get nervous, or even have doubts from time to time. I recall he has his moments in canon.

b.)I like Paul. He was the rival that really pushed the hero with his contrasting ideals. He's a good example of what a rival's concept should be. For me, a rival is someone you have to surpass, y'know to prove them wrong. They serve as a good milestone.

e.g. Gary and Paul were good rivals. Yes I know they're douches but what counts is that they really motivate Ash in becoming a stronger trainer.

Think back to Hoenn and Unova. Ash didn't felt like he progressed much towards the end of the league and to the fans it was either he remained stagnant or gotten even worse. Tripp and the rest, I'm looking at you guys.

Anyway I hope Paul wasn't too OOC. It was hard to find a balance between being a good guy and being a douche. Remember this is Paul after losing to Ash so I imagine he's less of an ass after being humbled by his rival.

c.)Ash's team for the finals is completely different than the one in canon.

d.)Don't worry this brief Sinnoh arc won't last long as I estimate it to be done one or more chapter before I transition to Kalos.

e.)Do not complain how Sceptile seemed weak for almost going down after one hit. As the author I decided to write Sceptile as a 'glass cannon'. What's a glass cannon you ask? It's a term usually used in videogames to describe a character who is ridiculously strong and fast but have terrible defense. Add in the fact that he got hit by a Legendary Pokemon. A _legendary_ Pokemon.

f.)You may or may not have noticed I write Sceptile as a male but kept on referring to Darkrai as an 'it'. I sided with game rules on this one. As in the games, legendary Pokemon don't have genders with a few exceptions.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER II: Heroes versus Legends II

 _Last time: "I-I don't believe it folks! It's the legendary Pokemon-Latios! Just how many Legendary Pokemon does Tobias have? Can Ash and his team still secure another win or is this the start of Tobias' comeback?!"_

 _And now:_

Ash bit his lip in worry as he gazed at the majestic form of the eon Pokemon. Dragon types were always troublesome opponents but a _legendary_ dragon type?

The raven haired teen then shook his head in frustration as he put his game face back on. 'This is no time be worried. I gotta get my head in the game! We came here to win and that's what we're gonna do!'

Ash then raised Sceptile's pokeball and recalled the clearly worn out reptile. "Sceptile return!"

In response, the forest Pokemon just let the red light engulf him. Under normal circumstances, he would've been more stubborn but he knew that if they were going to win then he has to swallow his pride for the sake of the team.

Ash then smiled softly at Sceptile's Pokeball once the Hoenn native was safely back inside. "I'm proud of you Sceptile."

Pumping his fist in excitement, Ash proceeded with his next battler. "You're up Snorlax!"

Once the sleeping Pokemon materialized on the field, Tobias couldn't help but be intrigued. From the first battle alone, he pegged Ash as someone who prioritized power or speed as evident of the Pokemon he used thus far. 'What is he up to? Does he really think that glutton can match up to my Latios?"

"Alright, Snorlax versus Latios! Let the battle begin!"

With the Ref done, Tobias made the first move once more. "Latios, use Luster purge!"

Said eon Pokemon then gathered a massive amount of psychic energy in front of its mouth before unleashing it.

Ash and Snorlax only grinned in response as the gluttonous Pokemon took a defensive stance. The crowd was shocked as the raven haired youth simply let the attack hit.

Once the initial dust was clear, the audience felt their jaws drop as Snorlax looked relatively unharmed.

Tobias only grinned as his assumption was right. He may rely on his legendary's strength but it doesn't make him any less of a trainer. "Heh. I was wondering why would you use a Pokemon like Snorlax."

Ash could only smirk as the mysterious trainer saw through his strategy. "So you saw through my Snorlax's 'Protect'?"

The Sinnoh trainer then let out a small snort as he crossed his arms. "You're not the first one who tried to use that tactic. Let's see if your Snorlax's defense can stand up to my Latios' offense!"

With a wave of his right hand, Tobias was on the offensive once again. "Show that glutton who's the boss Latios! Use Zen headbutt!"

Latios then let out a mighty cry as it's forehead glow blue with psychic energy and took off at incredible speeds towards its opponent.

Ash was quick to act as he saw the incoming threat. "Snorlax, heads up! Use Defense curl!"

In response, the bear-like Pokemon used his massive bulk to his advantage and took the attack head on. A massive shockwave then followed after the impact but to everyone's shock, Snorlax absorbed Latios' attack because of his large gut.

Ash grinned in satisfaction at the golden opportunity and made sure to use it. "Snorlax use Headbutt!"

Hearing his trainer, Snorlax ricocheted Latios off his gut before butting foreheads with the eon Pokemon. The impact was strong enough to make the dragon type flinch.

"Now follow it up with Ice punch!"

Tobias then gritted his teeth as the attack connected and Latios was sent flying back with a pained cry. 'Tch. Figures, he would have something to counter dragon types!' The Sinnoh trainer then cried out to his fallen Pokemon. "Latios, I know you're stronger than this! Show them the might of a legendary Pokemon!"

The eon Pokemon floated into the air once more as it struggled to maintain aloft. Tobias narrowed his eyes as he saw that Snorlax specifically aimed to damage one of Latios' wings. "Tsk! Latios use luster purge!"

Unfortunately the same result happened once more as Ash simply used protect to defend. Tobias then growled as he switched tactics again. "Latios, zen headbutt! Don't give that Snorlax room to counter attack!"

Prepared for situations like this, Ash already had another plan in mind. "Don't worry Snorlax! Use Counter!"

Said Pokemon then shifted into a stance and emitted a red aura that engulfed his entire form.

At first the attack seemingly made contact and managed to hurt Snorlax but that was before the after-effect kicked in and Latios felt double the recoil from its own attack.

The legendary Pokemon let out a growl as it saw Snorlax grin despite his injury.

Latios then resumed its assault according to its trainer's wish and kept on attacking but Ash and Snorlax were always a step ahead and acted accordingly to the legendary's moves.

-(scene change)-

Meanwhile, Paul was impressed with how his rival put Snorlax's advantage to good use. 'It may not be the fastest Pokemon in Ash's squad but those three defensive moves are enough to compensate for the lack of speed.

With Protect, he can shield Snorlax from strong attacks like Latios' Luster purge and so that he doesn't have to worry about the off-chance that protect will fail, Ash has Defense curl and Counter as back-ups.'

The purple haired trainer couldn't help but smirk as he overheard some people beginning to cheer on Ash. "Heh. Not bad you idiot. I guess Reggie really was right, there _is_ something special about you."

-(scene change)-

And in another section of the audience, Barry literally joined Dawn with cheering Ash on. As in the young blond was also wearing a uniform which consisted of a red coat, A headband that says Kanto on the front and he was even waving a red flag with Pikachu's face on it.

"Yeah, go Ash! Go Snorlax! That's my rival! Kick Tobias and his legendary Pokemon's butt! Ahahahaha!"

"Give me an A! Give me a S! Give me a H! What's that spell? The best! Ash is the best! Yeahhh!"

To both cheerleader's left, Brock let out a weak grin at his friend's antics as he timidly clapped along to show his support.

-(scene change: Kalos)-

In Vaniville town, both Serena and her mother were astonished at how the battle was in Ash's favor. At first they were worried that the Kanto native was facing legendary Pokemon but were pleasantly ecstatic when Ash did the impossible and snagged a win.

Now they were more than hooked as they cheered on Ash wholeheartedly to win the Sinnoh league conference.

As Serena watched on, she was proud of her childhood friend for coming this far as a trainer. Said girl then felt a small blush on her cheeks as she entertained the idea of meeting up with the Pallet town trainer. 'It shouldn't be too hard. Since he's a registered trainer, an official league site should have his e-mail. I can't wait to see him in per-'

A small knot then made itself known inside Serena's stomach and she felt like she swallowed something bitter. 'And what do I have to show for? A Rhyhorn racer in-training? I'm still not even sure if that's what I want to do…'

Serena then shook her head as she recalled her days in Pallet town. 'Ash isn't the kind of person to judge…but it wouldn't hurt to have a dream that I can really be proud to call my own…'

-(scene change: Sinnoh)-

Back on the battlefield, as both Latios and Snorlax kept on clashing, it was clear to Tobias that his Legendary can't outmatch Ash's Pokemon in terms of stamina.

Latios looked ready to collapse from the war of attrition but Snorlax who was equally bruised and battered, still looked raring to go. Something which irked Tobias' pride.

Feeling his impatient side surfacing, Tobias momentarily lost his composure for a second. "Latios enough! Just finish this fight already! Use Luster purge, full power!"

"You got this Snorlax! Use protect!"

As expected, the same results followed and Tobias let out a growl of frustration. "Don't let up Latios!"

In response to its trainer's command, Latios poured more power into its signature attack but it seemed futile as Snorlax's protect held strong.

Tobias then noticed despite his Pokemon's effort, they were actually able to push the gluttonous Pokemon a few inches, indicated by the indents left on the ground. A small light bulb then metaphorically hovered over Tobias' head as the Sinnoh trainer formed a plan. "Latios, shift your Luster Purge and hit the ground below Snorlax!"

With a mighty cry, Latios did as it was instructed and to everyone else's shock, Snorlax was hurled high into the air.

Grinning in triumph, Tobias dramatically pointed one finger into the air. "Yes! Once more, use Luster purge!"

As the eon Pokemon let loose the attack, Ash cried out in horror as he knew that Snorlax was completely vulnerable in the air. Gritting his teeth, the raven haired youth relied on his instinct by reflex. "Snorlax, counter with Giga Impact!"

Calming himself after hearing his trainer's command, Snorlax then engulfed himself in a bright orange aura and clashed head-on with Latios' strongest attack.

The legendary dragon type narrowed its eyes as it pumped more power into its attack, according to Tobias' wishes. The same goes double for Ash's Snorlax as the Pallet town trainer cheered his hardest.

Everyone else that was watching the spectacle waited with baited breath as the moment seemed to drag on in suspense.

Snorlax then gritted his teeth as he increased the power and size of his aura to match his opponent's. With one more cry, the gluttonous Pokemon was able to break through Latios' attack with a little thanks to gravity and the fact that he had more stamina than the eon Pokemon.

The attack connected and a massive shockwave followed as the entire field transformed into a huge crater.

Tobias could only gasp at the sheer damage of the Giga impact. The Sinnoh trainer was then relieved as he saw that his Legendary was struggling to get up and continue fighting.

Tobias then grinned in satisfaction as he knew that the fight was far from over. "Good you're still up. Alright Latios, use-"

"I don't think so! We're not taking any chances! Use Earthquake!"

As the surrounding dust near Latios cleared, Snorlax was revealed to be standing right behind the eon Pokemon all along.

Before Tobias or even Latios could react, the Legendary dragon type was flattened by the sheer girth of Snorlax's bottom. The aftershock of the attack was also strong enough to further destroy the battle field, as evident by the huge cracks that scattered all over.

Ash and his Pokemon were the first to cheer as the ref called the results. It wasn't long before the entire stadium followed the raven haired teen's lead.

Meanwhile, Tobias let out a growl as he recalled Latios. Losing was unexpected to say the least. The Sinnoh trainer truly believed he would waltz into this competition without any trouble thanks to his Legendaries but never in his dreams he would encounter someone like Ash of all people.

Tobias then gripped his next Pokeball tightly as he renewed his resolve to win. "I must thank you Ash."

Seeing the raven haired teen's confusion, Tobias was more than glad to continue as he called out his next Pokemon. "For reminding me that _every_ Pokemon has a fair chance of winning and losing. I was arrogant and blind. From here on, I swear I'll show you I'm a trainer worthy to have made his way to the finals!"

Ash could only grin in excitement and slight nervousness as he recognized Tobias' next legendary. It was none other than Moltres, a prominent Legendary in Kanto lore. "Bring it on Tobias! How about it Snorlax? You still good to go buddy?"

A little roughed up but definitely not out, Snorlax flexed his chubby arms as a show of confidence to his trainer.

With a nod of his head, the ref was quick to resume the match.

Tobias then smirked as he commanded the legendary phoenix Pokemon with an elegant flourish of his hand. "This battle is over! Moltres, end it with Fire blast!"

Said legendary then unleashed an abnormally huge flamethrower that eventually took the shape of the symbol 'Dai', something only common in Kanto dialect.

"Snorlax, use protect!"

Hearing his trainer's command, Snorlax was quick to summon his green barrier in response. Unfortunately, of all the possible timings, Snorlax's shield fizzled out immediately.

Ash then gritted his teeth as he saw Protect finally reached its limits and failed. Having no choice, the raven haired trainer fell to his back-up plan. "Tsk, no time to dodge…Snorlax, use Defense curl!"

The attack connected and a massive explosion then took place and rocked the entire stadium.

To everyone's shock, Snorlax stumbled out of the smoke badly singed before finally fainting. Ash then gritted his teeth as he recalled the bear-like Pokemon. "Snorlax return!"

The raven haired trainer then clenched his one fist as he whispered his apologies. "I'm sorry buddy, I let my guard down…I swear I'll make it up to you." Ash then plucked another Pokeball as he glared back at the legendary phoenix. "Let's do this Charizard!"

As soon as the flame Pokemon emerged from Ash's Pokeball, Charizard wasted no time in letting loose a mighty roar that shook the entire stadium to its core.

A lot of spectators and other veteran trainers watching, felt a shiver travel through their spines at the battle-hardened look in Charizard's eyes. Even in the presence of a legendary fire type, it wasn't enough to deter the orange dragon.

The referee then gulped a bit as the atmosphere itself grew hotter. The tension was even higher since it became a battle between fire types. Pokemon of these types were known for their competitive nature.

"Moltres versus Charizard! On my mark! Let the battle…begin!"

And then they were off into the skies as both fire types clashed according to their trainer's orders.

The audience felt their jaws drop at the amazing speeds both Pokemon travelled as they witness the breath-taking aerial maneuvers. It almost seemed choreographed as Charizard's Slash and Moltres' Wing attack always resulted in a stalemate before both Pokemon resumed their duel.

Moltres was the first to break off and launched a powerful Flamethrower according to its master's orders. Not backing down, Ash was quick to retaliate. "Use your Flamethrower too Charizard! Let em have it full power!"

With a loud cry, Charizard was more than glad to fight fire-with-fire. Tobias then gritted his teeth in frustration as he saw both attacks drew in mid-air. "Moltres, shift that flamethrower into a Fire blast!"

Moltres' flames then grew in intensity and was slowly pushing back the opposition much to the Sinnoh trainer's delight. Unfortunately for Tobias, Ash and Charizard were just _that_ stubborn to not give up without a fight. "Then it's time we bust out the big guns! Charizard counter with Overheat!"

If Moltres' fire blast was huge then Charizard's overheat was twice the size as the orange dragon's attack easily engulfed the phoenix's flames.

Moltres then let out a pained cry at the sheer power of the flames as Charizard's attack landed right on the mark.

Tobias and the rest of stadium gawked at the absolute fire power that the orange dragon possessed.

"I-Incredible! Ash Ketchum's Charizard was able to harm Tobias' Moltres! A legendary fire type! It's unbelievable! One thing is for sure folks, that Charizard isn't your run of the mill fire type!"

Gritting his teeth, Tobias then recalled the legendary Phoenix back into its Pokeball. The Sinnoh trainer had no time for another battle of attrition. "Moltres, that's enough for now! Zapdos, you're up!"

Ash then bit his lip in worry as he gazed at another Kanto legendary. While the raven haired youth had full confidence in Charizard, he knew he can't afford to tire out his ace Pokemon too much. "Charizard return!"

The Pallet town trainer then gritted his teeth as he considered his remaining options. 'It's a HUGE risk...but maybe, just maybe it could actually work…' Ash then shifted his gaze towards Tobias and narrowed his eyes slightly. 'He might also underestimate my next choice so that gives me another advantage to work with…'

"Swellow, I choose you!"

Everybody watching then choked on their spit as soon as Ash's Swellow made his debut.

Even Ash's friends in the stands had a hard time processing the raven haired youth's choice.

After everyone got their bearings back, the ref was quick to resume the match. With a wave of his hand, Ash was the first one to make his move. "Swellow, close the gap with agility!"

Tobias could only smirk at what he assumed an easy opponent. "Don't give them that chance Zapdos! Use thunderbolt!"

After letting out a large screech into the air, Zapdos then flapped its impressive wing span and fired a huge lightning bolt at its speedy target.

Ash was more than ready as he prepared his plan for action. "Don't worry Swellow, use Double team!"

Not losing his momentum, the swallow Pokemon amped his speed up even further and created what looks like to be actual clones.

Zapdos then narrowed its eyes and began spamming more thunderbolts according to its master's orders. It was only a matter of time before all of the clones were destroyed but to everyone's shock, the real Swellow wasn't among them.

"Now Swellow, use Aerial ace!"

A streak of blue and white then rammed itself to an unsuspecting Zapdos before quickly disappearing.

Tobias didn't even have the time to react before the mysterious blur appeared once more and attacked his legendary again.

The speed of the blur was unreal as it repeated the process again and again, leaving no room for a proper counter attack. With a jolt, Tobias then realized that the blue streak was none other than Ash's Swellow.

Tobias scowled but nonetheless managed to form a plan in his head. "Blow him away with Whirlwind Zapdos!"

With a flap of its wings, the electric legendary unleashed an incredible gust of wind that managed to put some distance between the two flying types.

It was more than enough for Tobias to quickly make his next move. "Now use Rain dance and follow it up with Charge!"

Zapdos then hurled a blue ball of psychic energy towards the sky and it wasn't long before it actually started to rain. The thunder Pokemon then went into a trance as multiple sparks danced all over its body and before anyone could expect what happens next, the legendary Pokemon was engulfed in a yellow aura.

Tobias grinned in excitement at what he assumes checkmate for his opponents. "Now let's see if you can dodge this! Give it everything you've got Zapdos! Use Thunder, full power!"

A huge column of electricity then emerged from the dark sky and engulfed the entire battlefield. Everybody watching, let out a frightful scream at the legendary Pokemon's sheer power.

The ref was about to make the call since no normal flying type could possibly still be standing after an attack of that magnitude when a sharp cry managed to pierce the nail biting tension that blanketed the entire stadium.

From out of the smoke, Ash's Swellow emerged and was covered in a magnificent golden aura.

Ash grinned as he saw that his plan worked perfectly. 'It was a long shot but I'm glad we were able to pull of Thunder armor perfectly again.'

Everybody else was gob-smacked as they witness another impossible feat happen right before their very eyes. A _flying type_ of all things was able to absorb an electric attack.

Ash then didn't waste any more time and was quick to make his next move. "Alright Swellow, let's end this! Use Brave bird!"

Swellow then burst into flames and numerous sparks circled his body before the two types combined and the swallow Pokemon was engulfed in a white aura. The Hoenn flying type then took off like a rocket towards the legendary Pokemon.

Realizing the danger, Tobias was quick to snap out of his shock. "Zapdos use Hyper beam!"

A still worn out Zapdos then fired an orange beam from its beak. The attack was a direct hit but a split second later, it was shown that it was completely ineffective.

Swellow's brave bird just easily overpowered the hyper beam and nailed Zapdos in a blink of an eye.

After the explosion, Zapdos' defeated form crashed down to the earth. The ref was about to announce the results when Swellow's golden aura fizzled out and the Hoenn flying type also joined the legendary down below.

"Both Swellow and Zapdos are unable to battle! This is a draw! Since Tobias has lost three Pokemon, we will take a five minute intermission so that both trainer's can rest and league officials will prep the next battlefield."

-(scene change)-

"That. Was…Awesome! That Ash kid ain't half bad!"

"I know! He's actually giving Tobias a run for his money!"

"I don't know about you guys but I'm betting on him to win the whole thing! Kid's got potential!"

Brock then let out a low whistle as he overheard the people behind him. 'Heh. Leave it to Ash to change everyone's mind about him. Still, it makes me proud to see how far he's gone.' The former gym leader then grinned at his friends as he passed on some refreshments. "Haha. So what do you guys think of the senior members of Ash's squad? Impressed?"

Barry was practically bouncing in his seat after he and Dawn took a little break from cheering. "Heck yeah! I really liked his Swellow! At first I was worried over the type disadvantage then suddenly…BAM! He went all Super mode and unleashed a can of butt-whoopin!"

While Dawn wasn't as vocal, she also shared the same sentiments with their blonde friend. The blue haired girl was practically beaming with pride towards her mentor. "Ditto for me! I never even knew the things Ash and his Pokemon did was even possible!"

The aspiring breeder couldn't help but smile at both of his friend's expression. Being Ash's oldest friend-slash-traveling companion, he was already used to the raven haired youth's ability to do the impossible. "Yup that's Ash for ya. Ever since we first fought at Pewter, I knew there was something special about him. He always had the knack for adapting to any situation, more so than any other trainer I've seen in our travels. And trust me, there were a _lot_ of trainers."

"And that's our intermission folks! The battle will resume on the rock field and Ash Ketchum of Pallet town will go first!"

Dawn and Barry's eyes then lit up in excitement as they resumed their efforts to cheer on the Kanto trainer.

-(scene change)-

With his signature grin, Ash then called out his next battler. "I'm counting on you, Infernape!"

Once the fire monkey appeared on the field, Infernape copied his trainer's excited grin and began shadowboxing vigorously. The Sinnoh Pokemon then adopted a more serious look once he saw his opponent enter the field as well.

Across him was the legendary aurora Pokemon itself.

"Suicune versus Infernape! Let the battle…begin!"

With a mighty cry, Infernape then flared his flames high into the air with his usual zeal. Equally excited, Ash was more than glad to lead the charge. "I hear ya buddy, let's win this thing! Close the gap with Mach punch!"

The primate like Pokemon then charged towards Suicune at great speeds with his fist covered in a white aura. In response, Tobias couldn't help but smirk as he already expected a melee fight to begin with. "Suicune, shut that monkey down with Tailwind!"

Suicune's eyes then glowed with psychic energy and unleashed a turbulent whirlwind that was enough to stop Infernape cold in his tracks.

Tobias then smirked at both of his opponent's panic-stricken looks. "Follow it up with Bubblebeam Suicune!"

Infernape then howled in pain as the attack connected and Ash gritted his teeth as he saw the state of the Sinnoh Pokemon's flame. Compared to the start of the match, it was much tamer in comparison.

Seeing that he gained the upper hand, Tobias wasted no time using this golden opportunity to his advantage. "Now use Scald! Let 'em have it!"

Showing his grit, Infernape then started dodging according to his trainer's orders. As for Ash, the raven haired youth looked worried as he saw that his Pokemon's speed wasn't up to snuff after the legendary's last attack.

As the battle went on, it was clear to Tobias that even after lowering the Sinnoh Pokemon's speed with bubblebeam, it won't be enough to land a decisive hit.

Mentally scrolling through Suicine's list of attacks, Tobias was quick to change tactics. "There's no way you're dodging this! Suicune use Surf!"

The aurora Pokemon's eyes glowed once more with psychic energy and then unleashed a gigantic tidal wave that swept through the entire battlefield.

Tobias' smirk was wiped off of his face when he noticed that Ash was grinning as well.

Panicking for a moment, Tobias then saw that there was no sign of Infernape's form after Suicune's surf was over. 'W-What the? Where on earth is he?! Side-to-side? Behind? Above? I can't find him!'

"Let's go Infernape! Use mach punch!"

Both Tobias and Suicune's then eyes widened in disbelief as said primate, practically came out of nowhere and delivered a mean sucker punch right below the aurora Pokemon's jaw. 'I-Impossible! He used dig and came from below?!'

Ash's grin widened as the tide of battle finally turned in his favor. "Time for our trump card Infernape! Use Thunder punch!"

Tobias couldn't help but wince after the attack made contact. Judging from Suicune's cry of pain, Infernape landed a critical hit.

Before the Sinnoh trainer even had the chance to counter, his raven haired opponent wasn't about to let up that easily. "Now combine it with Close combat!"

After the initial impact of the first thunder punch, Infernape picked up the pace and charged his remaining limbs with electricity and unleashed a barrage of kicks and punches at incredible speeds.

Tobias then clenched his fists in frustration at the onslaught of attacks. After seeing another clean hit land on Suicune, the Sinnoh trainer was hit with inspiration and gained a determined look in his eyes. "Suicune stand your ground and use Reflect!"

Heeding his trainer's orders, Suicune gritted his teeth and summoned a psychic barrier between itself and Infernape. The sudden disruption was more than enough to stagger the Sinnoh Pokemon's rhythm and it was the perfect chance for Tobias. "He's wide open! Now's our chance Suicune! Use Hyrdo pump!"

Suicune then launched a powerful jet of water towards the helpless primate like Pokemon. The result was devastating as Infernape was dragged across the field before making impact with a rock pillar.

Ash and Pikachu looked horrified after the attack was done. A super-effective attack is pretty painful but a super-effective attack from a legendary Pokemon? The raven haired trainer couldn't even imagine the pain the fire type was going through. "No! Infernape! Speak to me buddy! Please be alright!"

"Pi-Pikachuuu!"

Infernape knew he didn't have much time left and use the last of his energy before fainting and gave his trainer a look. A single look and inside it was a message. A message that could only be understood between a trainer and a Pokemon with a deep bond.

' _Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Remember, this is_ _ **our**_ _dream too. Don't give up now.'_

Ash could only bit his lip before nodding silently and recalled the knocked-out fire Pokemon. The raven haired youth then closed his eyes as he softly whispered to the Pokeball. "You did your best Infernape. I'm proud of you…And don't worry, we're winning this match. For us. For all of us."

Raising his head with a determined look in his eyes, Ash plucked out another Pokeball and threw it to the field. "I'm counting on you Tauros! Let's do this!"

Once the bull Pokemon fully materialized on the field, Tauros then stomped one hoof into the ground before letting out a confident cry.

Tobias then narrowed his eyes and assessed his latest opponent. 'It doesn't look like it's built for intense speed like the rest of Ash's Pokemon. Suicune should be faster…' The Sinnoh trainer then shook his head and took a closer look to his Pokemon's condition. 'No! I can't underestimate him again! Suicune took too many hits from that combo move. If I keep on pushing it, I'll just end up losing another battler. I can't afford that happening!'

Making his decision, Tobias was quick to raise the aurora Pokemon's Pokeball. "Suicune you've done enough for now! Return!"

Tobias then returned the equally determined gaze right back at his opponent as he sent out his next choice. "Heatran, I choose you!"

From the Sinnoh trainer's Pokeball, emerged the legendary lava dome Pokemon. The tortoise like legendary then roared proudly into the air and stomped the ground below even harder.

Ash's Tauros didn't even flinched at the show of intimidation, the normal type just chose to snort in response and got into his favored battle-ready position.

"Okay! Tauros versus Heatran! Let's get this started! On my mark…Begin!"

Taking the lead once more, Tobias wasted no time in leading the charge. "Heatran use Earth power!"

The lava dome Pokemon's eyes then glowed with psychic energy before the legendary suddenly slammed the earth below it with all its might. A huge fissure then emerged with magma overflowing from the cracks.

Undaunted, Ash already had a plan in mind for a situation like this. "Counter it with earthquake Tauros!"

In response, the bull Pokemon also slammed the dirt beneath him and caused a massive seismic quake. The attack was strong enough to cause a draw and resulted a massive explosion in the middle of the battle field.

Picking up the pace, Ash and Tauros were eager to make another move. "Take 'em down Tauros! Use Bulldoze!"

Said Pokemon's horns then glowed with power before the normal type charged in with all the speed and power of a freight train.

Already seeing the outcome, Tobias decided to face his opponent head on. "Don't falter Heatran! Fight back with Iron head!"

The lava dome Pokemon's skull plate was also covered in the same aura before clashing head-to-head with Ash's Tauros. What happened next was a mini shockwave that rattled the stadium.

Everybody watching then struggled to stay on their seats as both Pokemon continued bashing their heads with each other as a contest of strength and stamina. With every impact, the aftershocks were strong enough to further destroy the battlefield.

After regaining his balance as well, Tobias opted for a switch of plans. "Forget about iron head! Switch to Heatwave Heatran!"

After one final clash, Heatran then unleashed a scorching hot heat wave directly from its now open mouth. Due to their close proximity, Tauros received even more damage from the fire attack.

Ash then gritted his teeth after seeing his Pokemon's condition. Judging from the badly singed body, the raven haired youth knew that the normal type was burnt.

The pallet town trainer could only bite his lip in worry at the tight spot he and his team were currently in. 'With Tauros burned, it's only a matter of time before his stamina runs out and he faints. I could switch out now but I don't think neither Sceptile or Charizard could take Heatran out fast enough and still have enough energy to fight Suicune and Moltres…' Ash then clenched his fists in worry with Pikachu imitating his trainer's mood. 'We've got no other choice then, it's all-or-nothing!'

"Tauros use Fissure!"

The normal type then let out a strong cry before carving another crack into the earth with a white energy beam thanks to one of his hooves.

Tobias then sweated a bit in response as he knew the dangers of that attack if it actually managed to hit. With a wave of his hand, the Sinnoh trainer wasn't just gonna stand idly by. "Nullify that Fissure Heatran! Use earth power again!"

Due to Tauros' state from his burns, all of his physical attacks were weakened for now. It was no surprise why both attacks drew this time.

After the explosion, Tobias then wiped off the sweat from his brow and let out a breath of relief. "Okay Heatran, end this with-"

"Now Tauros! Use Giga impact!"

Both Tobias and Heatran were clearly caught off guard as they simply thought that the normal type's last attack was its final gambit. Gritting his teeth, Tobias made a quick recovery. "Try and push him back with Heat wave!"

As the attack hit its mark spot on, Tauros gritted his teeth in frustration and pain. The normal type then heard his trainer's cheer and it was enough to encourage him to plow on and land his attack.

The result was another explosion.

Unfortunately for Tauros, after the dust cleared, Heatran was still standing tall and proud. The bull like Pokemon could only glare back weakly at the legendary before finally fainting.

Ash then felt a massive knot in his stomach as he recalled his fallen Pokemon. The raven haired youth couldn't help but bite his lip in anxiety as he stared at the scoreboard. 'So much for having the lead…'

Sensing that something was wrong with the Pallet town native, Pikachu made his presence known and gave his trainer a stern glare.

"Pi-Pika! Pikachuu!"

Ash couldn't help but smile softly in return at his starter. "Thanks buddy, I appreciate the pep talk. After all, this battle isn't over yet! Not by a long shot!"

The raven haired youth then gripped his Pokeball tightly before hurling the sphere towards the field with renewed vigor. "I'm counting on ya Sceptile! Let's do this!"

Making his reappearance, a still haggard looking Sceptile emerged and tried his best to look unaffected by his previous fatigue. The green reptile also saw the score and vowed to avenge his fallen comrades.

Tobias then assessed the Hoenn Pokemon's condition and made the smart decision to swap out Heatran for his Moltres. 'This way, I have both the type advantage and more maneuverability on the battlefield. Ash and his squad…they're special. Really special. In all my years as a trainer, I never thought I would run into a trainer like him, and that's why…' The Sinnoh trainer then narrowed his eyes at someone he finally deems worthy to be called his rival. 'No more underestimating him! Just like him, this is an important dream for me and my team too! I won't lose!'

As soon as the ref made the call, both Pokemon then sprang into action. With Moltres taking to the skies and Sceptile activating his blades.

"Get em Sceptile! Use Leaf blade!"

Thanks to his natural speed and jumping prowess, it was easy getting into the air. Landing an attack? Unfortunately, is a different matter altogether. Moltres just simply dodged the attack according to its trainer's command.

Ash then gritted his teeth after seeing the phoenix Pokemon retaliate with a direct wing attack, Sceptile then barely dodged the incoming flamethrower after making a spectacular aerial recovery.

As much as he hates to admit, Ash had no choice but to go on the defensive. "Sceptile, try and psych em out with agility!"

The forest Pokemon then upped his speed and began leaving afterimages all over the battlefield. Narrowing his eyes, Tobias wasn't about to let up and found a quick countermeasure. "Clear the field with Hurricane Moltres! Leave no trace behind!"

The legendary phoenix then flapped its fiery wings and summoned not one, not two but _**three**_ tornadoes that engulfed the entire field.

After the violent winds finally died down, everybody watching was shocked when Sceptile was apparently missing.

Ash then grinned triumphantly as he looked towards the sky and high above Moltres was the forest Pokemon himself. To the raven haired youth's excitement, the yellow seeds on Sceptile's back were glowing brightly in the sunlight. "Alright Sceptile! Hit them with your Solar beam! Full power!"

Tobias then smirked much to the Kanto trainer's confusion.

Imagine to Ash and Sceptile's shock when the legendary fire type itself, simply vanished and left an afterimage as well. To both of their horror, the phoenix Pokemon was on top of Sceptile all along.

'H-How?! Moltres wasn't this fast before! It didn't even use a move to buff it's speed! That's impossible! Unless…'

-(FLASHBACK)-

" _Suicune, shut that monkey down with Tailwind!"_

-(FLASHBACK: END)-

Ash's eyes grew in horror as he realized his folly too late. 'Of course! Suicune's Tailwind! Not only was it able to stop Infernape, it also boosted their speed for the rest of the battle!'

The raven haired youth could only watch helplessly as the legendary phoenix unleashed another Fire blast at his airborne Pokemon.

As Sceptile crashed down back to earth, Ash felt his heart sink as he gazed at the forest Pokemon's defeated state. The raven haired youth then silently recalled the Hoenn native back to his Pokeball. "I'm so sorry Sceptile. It's all my fault as a trainer…I should've seen it coming."

"Pika…"

Ash then returned a weak grin to the electric rodent. "Don't worry buddy, I'm fine. It doesn't matter if the odds are always against us. I'm not giving up!"

Pikachu practically beamed at his trainer's belief in his dreams. And most importantly, his belief in them.

Standing straight and tall, Ash then briefly raised his last Pokeball to the sun with a determined gleam in his brown eyes before he promptly hurled the sphere to the battlefield. "It's all on you Charizard! Let's do this!"

Once Charizard reappeared, the mighty orange dragon mimicked his trainer and stood proudly with his arms crossed. The fire type then flared his wings and let loose a roar before firing a flamethrower to the sun's direction.

Seeing the last obstacle to his victory, Tobias then wasted no time and recalled his Moltres and swapped in the aurora Pokemon. "Let's win this Suicune! I'm counting on you!"

As soon as the legendary materialized, the tension in the entire stadium grew thicker. Everybody was practically at the edge of their seats as the end of this year's league match was coming close to its end.

"This is it folks! The last stretch! Who will win this year's conference?! Will it be the fan favorite-Tobias?! Or will it be the underdog-Ash?! Hang on tight to those seats cause this is gonna rock!"

The referee then looked between the two trainers and their respective Pokemon before finally making his cue. "Charizard versus Suicune! Both Pokemon are ready?! Then…Begin!"

Ash was the first one to make his move with Charizard and the fire type was more than glad to lead the charge as well. "Start off with a flamethrower Charizard! Full blast!"

In retaliation, Suicune fired a scald attack according to its trainer's wishes. Both attacks then drew in mid air and created a lot of steam that blanketed the entire field.

"Close in with Slash, Charizard!"

From the smoke, Charizard flew in at incredible speeds with his claws practically glowing. The attack was successful as Suicune howled in pain when the kanto fire type continued his onslaught. Slash-after-Slash raked across the aurora Pokemon's body.

Tobias then gritted his teeth in frustration at the sheer brutality and strength of the orange dragon. "Hang on Suicune! Use reflect!"

Showing that he was more tougher and experienced than the rest of Ash's squad, Charizard just kept on hammering the psychic barrier with his claws non-stop. It was evident that Suicune was having a hard time in maintaining its shield, judging from the obvious cracks all over the glass like panel.

With one more push, Ash knew he needed one more attack to break through. "Now use Dragon tail, Charizard!"

Said fire type then let out a roar before whipping his glowing tail at the legendary's barrier, the impact was not only strong enough to destroy Suicune's reflect but was also enough to blow away the aurora Pokemon across the field.

Ash pumped his fist in glee at the direct hit, the raven haired trainer then pointed towards their downed foe. "Now end it with Overheat!"

Unfortunately for the kanto trainer, Tobias and Suicune may be down but they were definitely not out. "Not a chance Ash! Counter it with Surf, Suicune!"

Since it was the second time that Charizard used overheat, the attack wasn't strong enough to face against the massive tidal wave and the fire type had no choice but to relinquish his attack and take to the skies like his trainer ordered.

This moment was all that Tobias needed to set up the battlefield to his favor. "Now's our chance! Use Rain dance and follow it up with Tailwind!"

Ash clenched his fists and knew that he has to stop the Sinnoh trainer's plan or it's game over. "Don't let them Charizard! Try a flamethrower!"

However it was too late as the effects of rain dance already took place and with tailwind, the turbulent gust was enough to repel Charizard's attack.

The flame Pokemon then grunted in annoyance as he felt the numerous water drops pelt his tail flame. Ash was also having the same dilemma as he realized that fire attacks won't be as effective anymore.

Tobias then smirked as he could practically see the ending right before him. "Now clip that overgrown lizard's wings Suicune! Use Blizzard!"

Said aurora Pokemon's eyes glowed blue with power before the legendary unleashed a mighty snow storm right from its mouth. The size and speed of the attack was unreal as the blizzard covered a wide range, leaving no room to dodge.

Charizard endured the onslaught of hail to the best of his abilities but the orange dragon began panicking when he felt his wings grew heavier every second.

It wasn't long before the fire type's wings were frozen solid and Charizard found himself plummeting at high speeds.

Seeing the dire situation, Ash was quick to react. "No! Charizard, use flamethrower on your wings! Quick!"

"It's too late Ash! Suicune use scald!"

Ash then let out a gasp as Charizard was nailed with a jet of scalding hot water. The force of the attack was strong enough to pin the fire type against a large boulder.

Tobias smirked at the roar of pain from the Kanto Pokemon. With a wave of his hand, the mysterious Sinnoh trainer hoped to end the battle right away. "Now turn that scald into a Hydro pump!"

Ash was practically trembling now as he witnessed his strongest Pokemon crying out in absolute pain. "No! Charizard! Get out of there, please!"

In response, Suicune just poured more power into its attack while slowly closing the distance to the fire type.

Ash then felt the weight of Charizard's Pokeball on his belt. 'T-This…This isn't worth it…'

Slowly but surely, Ash then unclipped the small sphere. 'Charizard's health is more important. No dream is worth sacrificing a friend…'

The raven haired youth couldn't even feel or hear Pikachu's cries as he was already pointing Charizard's Pokeball towards the fire type's direction. 'I-I have to forfeit!'

Another one of Charizard's roars then pierced the entire stadium. It was enough to momentarily snap Ash out of his trance and drop the orange dragon's Pokeball.

It wasn't a cry of pain this time but one of utter outrage.

It was as if time slowed down as Ash slowly met Charizard's gaze.

' _ **How dare YOU of all people just give up!'**_

Ash couldn't help but flinch and bite his lip in shame. 'This battle has gone too far Charizard…'

The Pallet town trainer didn't think it was possible but the orange dragon looked even more furious.

' _ **Is your belief in your dream that weak?!'**_

Something gleamed in Ash's brown eyes for a second and Charizard was more than glad to keep on pushing.

' _ **Is your belief in US that weak?! ALL of us! All of us who share that same dream when you took us in as a part of your family?! Were all our time and sacrifice meaningless?!'**_

A fire was now burning in Ash's brown orbs as he slowly clenched his fists. Memories began surfacing at the back of his mind as he recalled all of his Pokemon's blood, sweat, and tears in struggling to the top.

' _ **Remember what you taught us in every struggle we face! NEVER GIVE UP TILL THE END!'**_

' _Never…give up,'_ Ash then smiled softly as he felt himself stand up straighter. 'That's right! Never give up till the end! No matter what, _**we**_ will never give up till the end.'

"Pi-Pikachuuu!"

The raven haired youth grinned towards his starter to show he was now okay before shifting his attention back to Charizard.

Both Pokemon and trainer nodded to each other as they came to an understanding.

 **FIGHT. KEEP ON FIGHTING AND NEVER GIVE UP.**

A bright light then engulfed Charizard's form much to everyone's shock. It was even enough for Suicune to stop its attack in order understand the spectacle before it. No one even noticed the same glow coming from Ash's chest, it looked to be attached to a piece of string around his neck.

Everybody's jaws then unanimously dropped to the ground once it was clear that Charizard was in fact _evolving._

Once the light show was over. Charizard's new form was sleeker in terms of design, making for more maneuverability on both land and air. The new and improved fire type also sported a larger wingspan and extra wings found on his wrists.

The Kanto fire type then grinned and proudly showed off every one of his fearsome fangs to the stadium before letting out an invigorated roar. His blue eyes also gained a white tint and like magic, the rainy clouds were parted to reveal the shining sun.

"I-I don't believe it folks! But somehow, Ash's charizard was able to FREAKIN evolve! Just how is this possible?! Are we seeing a new peak in Pokemon evolution?! The ability to break the very limits itself and evolve even further! This is simply amazing!"

Ash was the first one to snap out of his shock as he softly whispered his thanks to the fire type. "I don't know how is this possible…but thank's a lot Charizard. Thanks for believing in me."

Charizard just simply returned the gesture with a single nod. The same fire was burning in the orange dragon's blue eyes.

"Okay Charizard, use Overheat! Give it everything you've got!"

Tobias and Suicune copied Ash as well and quickly snapped out of their respective shocks. "Don't think just because you pulled off a miracle, it doesn't mean you're gonna win! Suicune use Hydro pump!"

Both attacks then connected and a split second later, the hydro pump just simply evaporated into steam. Charizard's overheat then connected with Suicune before the Legendary could even think about dodging.

After the explosion, a defeated Suicune slumped down to the ground in defeat.

Tobias felt himself sweat after seeing the one-hit knockout. 'I-Incredible! And to think that was his third time using Overheat! Just how powerful it could be if it was just his first shot?'

Repressing a shiver, Tobias called out his Heatran for battle once more. 'Heatran should be able to tank some good hits and last long enough for Moltres to deliver the final blow…'

With a wave of his hand, Tobias was on the charge. "Take him down with Stone edge!"

Heatran's eyes glowed with psychic energy and the lava dome Pokemon then manipulated the surrounding rocks to launch themselves towards the stationary fire type.

Ash and Charizard then simply smirked as the orange dragon flared his wings and quickly vanished before everyone's eyes.

Panicking, Tobias quickly searched the battlefield but was caught off guard when Ash's Charizard reappeared right in front of Heatran with a bloodthirsty grin. "No! Heatran use stone edge again and drive him away!"

"Too slow Tobias! Send it flying with Mega punch Charizard!"

Everyone watching was stunned as the Kanto fire type practically sent the much heavier Pokemon high into the sky with nothing but a single punch.

Tobias felt himself blanch at the impossible feat and knew that it was checkmate for his legendary Pokemon. Heatran was panicking too much in the air for it to listen to his orders.

"Charizard, end this with Seismic toss!"

Said fire type then grabbed a hold of the lava dome Pokemon and began circling the air at incredibly fast speeds before promptly dive-bombing towards the earth. At the last few seconds, Charizard then angled his flight path and hurled Heatran into the ground.

Tobias was then shocked as the ref called Heatran's defeat. 'Impossible! Heatran has impeccably high defenses and to be just defeated with two hits…Just how strong did that Charizard get?!'

The mysterious Sinnoh trainer then gulped as he called out his last battler. "This is it Moltres, I'm counting on you!"

Sparks were flying as soon as Moltres appeared and everybody watching gulped at the tension between the two fire types.

After the ref was done with his cue, both Pokemon then resumed their deadly dance in the sky. Every clash was like watching a mini solar flare erupting. The spectacle was dangerously breathtaking for anybody watching.

Everybody then held their breaths as both fire types unleashed their strongest attacks once more. Moltres with its Fire blast, and Charizard with his Overheat.

Unfortunately for the orange dragon, his flames were slowly being pushed back. Charizard then began to sweat as it struggled to maintain the flames.

Seeing this, Tobias couldn't help but smirk. 'Looks like it's over. Ash's Charizard already used Overheat too many times in this match. This fourth one just lacks the fire power he needs to turn things around.'

Narrowing his eyes, Ash then made sure his voice could be heard all the way to the skies as he cheered on the Kanto fire type his hardest. "C'mon Charizard, I know you can do this! I believe in you! Just dig deep! Think of the hottest flame you can imagine and let it out!"

Hearing his trainer, Charizard momentarily closed his eyes and took his advice to heart. From the darkness of the orange dragon's mindscape, he was able to see it. The strongest flames he could ever imagine wielding. The sun.

Opening his eyes again, Charizard's blue orbs began glowing with unrestrained power. Suddenly, the size and intensity of his attack was not just doubled but he felt it was five times stronger than any Overheat he could produce on his best day.

Ash was practically beaming with pride towards the fire type as he recognized the attack. 'That's no longer your average Overheat, it's-' "Blast burn! You rule Charizard!"

The attack connected and the last thing Moltres could think of was the sheer absurdity of it all. Flames so strong that even a Phoenix couldn't handle the heat.

Their eyes briefly met and Moltres gave its highest respect to its fellow Kanto Pokemon. In return, Charizard mimicked the gesture as well.

"Moltres is unable to battle! Tobias Tatum of Sinnoh has no more eligible Pokemon for battle! The winner is…Ash Ketchum of Pallet town!"

The stadium was in complete shock. But it didn't stay that way for long, one-by-one, people started clapping and before anyone knew it, the sound became deafening.

Fans, trainers, coordinators and Pokemon alike were cheering their hardest. This was the kind of stuff epic stories were made off. It was truly one for the record books.

Ash was the last one to snap out of his trance. "We…We won?" The raven haired youth then broke out into a huge grin as reality finally settled in for him. "WE WON!"

The Pallet town trainer then rushed to ruined battlefield and embraced the waiting fire type. Pikachu also wasn't far behind and joined the group hug as well. "We won Charizard! We did it! You were awesome!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

Charizard then smiled softly to his trainer and fellow Pokemon before the orange dragon's expression shifted to an impish one.

Noticing the change of attitude, Pikachu's yellow face slightly paled and the yellow rodent quickly detached himself from his trainer.

"Uh Pikachu? Where are you going buddy? Oooh no! Oh c'mon Charizard! Not the flame-"

A now slightly burnt Ash couldn't help but give the fire type the stink eye. "-thrower…"

Charizard couldn't help himself and began laughing out loud. It wasn't long before Ash and Pikachu joined in on the fun and began laughing as well.

"Ahaha! What a battle folks! Let's give it up one more time for this year's league winner-Ash Ketchum of Pallet town!"

CHAPTER II: END

To be continued in: Onward to Kalos!

And that's a wrap! My god that was pretty long but totally worth it in my opinion. Six-on-six battles are pretty long. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

And remember. Reviews are very appreciated. I need feedback people. I need to know how I'm doing.

Anyway some notes before I end this author note:

a.)Snorlax and to some extent-Tauros were the tanks of Ash's team in this battle. What are tanks you ask? It's more videogame code for guys with high health, offense and defensive stats but aren't the fastest bunch.

b.)Swellow's thunder armor is a legit technique in anime canon (albeit it was only used one time). After he absorbed a thunder attack, he practically became unstoppable for a few seconds.

c.)Anybody noticed how I sneaked in some game mechanics with the fight scenes? E.g. headbutt makes you flinch, brave bird's recoil damage, rain dance and charge increases the accuracy and power of an electric attack and etc.

d.)A little heads up. I won't be doing a time skip next chapter so throw that idea outside your heads.

e.)I bet a lot of you guys were also wondering why Ash is stuck with Charizard Y when a lot of you Charizard fans prefer X? it's simple, I don't want to be repetitive cause Ash's Kalos rival will have Charizard X instead.

Here's a hint: he wears a scarf. His name starts with 'Al' and ends with 'ain'. Now put them together and who do you get?

f.)Yes Ash has a keystone in case you missed it. In this story, he keeps it beneath his jacket. It's origins will be revealed next chapter.

I think that's about it. See you guys in the next installment.


	3. Chapter 3

Before the story begins, have an omake:

" **Gary effin-Oak"**

A younger Ash and Serena were playing at the local park in Pallet town. Ever since the two first met at that fateful summer camp, both became the best of friends.

"Hey Serena, out of curiosity. What Pokemon are you planning to get when we're old enough to start our journey's?"

Serena's cheeks colored a bit from her friend's words. Said blonde then let out a tiny hum as she contemplated her answer while flipping through the sketchbook they were previously doodling on. "Hmmm. I think I'll go with Bulbasaur!"

To further make her point, Serena flipped the pages until they reached a child's rendition of the seed Pokemon and its evolution line. "I think he's the cutest one among the entire bunch!"

Serena then beamed at the raven haired youth as she handed him the sketchpad. "How about you Ash? Which Pokemon do you want to be your first partner?"

Ash then grinned in excitement as he showed off a page that features a badly drawn version of Kanto's very own flame Pokemon. "No contest! I'm definitely picking Charmander! I remember the time when I saw professor oak's Charizard back at his ranch and I thought it was the coolest Pokemon ever!"

Twirling a lock of her blonde hair, Serena couldn't help but suddenly blush as she felt herself get nervous all of a sudden. "H-Hey Ash?"

Said raven haired youth then gave her an innocent-boyish smile and Serena felt her face grow even hotter. "Yeah Serena?"

Gulping a bit, Serena knew that it was now or never. "I-It's just that…When we officially start our journey's…Uummm-" The young blonde girl then bit her lip out of nervousness before finally deciding to take the plunge. "-IsItOkayIfIGoWithYou?!"

Blinking a bit out of confusion at first, it wasn't long before Ash caught up and gave a bright cheery grin in response. "Ahaha. Of course you can come with me Serena! The more the merrier right?"

Serena can't help but feel as if she's on cloud-nine at the moment. In her mind, this very moment was absolutely perfect.

"Hey Ash, you're still hanging out with the weird new girl?"

Serena's face fell as she recognized the familiar voice. Meanwhile, Ash was practically fuming as he glared back at his long-time rival. "And what's wrong if I like playing with Serena? She's really awesome!"

Said blonde girl then began twiddling her fingers while keeping her head down in order to hide the massive blush on her face.

Ignoring Serena, Gary just let out a snort of disbelief as he glared back at the raven haired youth. "Oh yeah? What happens if you get cooties huh? How do you even plan on keeping up with me if you're sick with girl germs?"

Now it was Ash's time to snort as he stuck out his tongue back to the brunette. "Nuh-uh! Both Serena and my mom said that cooties don't even exist! So take that Gary!"

Rising to the bait, Gary then butted heads with the raven haired boy. "They do too exist!"

Feeling ticked off, Ash was quick to retaliate as well. "They do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"They do too, you slowpoke!"

"And I'm telling you, they do not! You jerk!"

Both young boys then cried out in pain when they realized an exasperated Serena were pulling on their ears. "C'mon you two, let's not fight. Now promise me that you'll both lay off of each other and I'll let go. Deal?"

Seeing them nod, Serena fulfilled her end of the deal and released the two Pallet town boys. As for Ash, the young boy mentally swore to never incur the wrath of any girl ever again. 'Man, I always thought mom was the only one who could be that scary if she tried. I guess it must be a girl thing…'

Gary was the first one to recover after rubbing his sore ears. "Tch. So what were you guys talking about anyway?"

Ash then began grinning as he showed off the sketchbook filled with Pokemon drawings. "We were talking about what's gonna be our first Pokemon! I'm picking Charmander for sure!"

The spiky haired brunette then sent his rival a condescending smirk in response. "Psssh. Charmander? Typical you would think Charizard is cool. That Pokemon is _so_ overrated. I'd rather pick Squirtle. Blastoise, all the way!"

"You take that back! Charizard is the best! I bet he can beat up your overgrown turtle any day of the week!"

"Ha! You'd lose that bet! Don't forget your lizard with wings is still a fire type! Last time I checked, Fire loses to water!"

Ash then let out what he think is a valiant roar and tackled Gary into the dirt.

Meanwhile, Serena sighed sadly as she began to tear the two boys apart from each other. 'And the day was so nice to begin with. It was just me and Ash. Why did Gary of all people have to show up?'

" **End"**

Alternate titles would be: 'childhood woes', 'Gary cockblockin' Oak', 'the flame wars'

CHAPTER III: Onward to Kalos

 _Last time: "Ahaha! What a battle folks! Let's give it up one more time for this year's league winner-Ash Ketchum of Pallet town!"_

 _And now:_

A certain raven haired teen then blinked as he felt the sun's rays pass over his brown eyes. Ash then let out a yawn before slowly getting up to do his daily morning duties.

After brushing his teeth, Ash was quick to notice something in the bathroom mirror. The pallet town trainer then squinted his eyes at the reflection and saw the latest addition to his trophy case.

The raven haired youth then promptly did a spit take before rushing out of the bathroom. Ash's jaw then dropped to the floor as he gazed at the big trophy with his inscription on it.

" _Lily of the valley conference 20XX. This award goes to trainer Ash Ketchum of Pallet town."_

Ash blinked three times. Then twice. And finally once.

The pride of Pallet town then drew a deep breath as reality finally settled in. The raven haired youth didn't even notice his trusty starter also beginning to stir from his sleep as well.

"Oh. My…God…!"

-(scene change)-

"Hey Missus K', what's up? Is Ashy boy up yet?"

One Delia Ketchum then beamed a smile back towards her son's former rival. "Why Hello Gary! I'm fine as usual! As for Ash, I think he's almost done freshening u-"

"YES! YEEESSS! IT WASN'T A DREAM! I'M THIS YEAR'S SINNOH LEAGUE CHAMPION!"

A bead of sweat then rolled down at the back of Gary's head after hearing the loud outburst. The brunette then gave his friend's mother a bemused grin. "You'd think he would stop getting shocked at that fact after being home for three days already."

The much older brunette just giggled in response as she began setting the table for breakfast. "I think it's kind of cute. After all, this is my little Ash's biggest win yet! All that excitement must still haven't left his system yet."

Gary shook his head with a good natured smirk on his face as he also decided to help the older Ketchum with the table. "I just hope it doesn't stay for too long. I'm pretty sure the neighbors don't appreciate the sound of Ash yelling at the top of his lungs every morning."

"Good morning world! It's a beautiful day! The Pidgey's are singing and there's not a cloud in the sky!"

The spiky haired brunette couldn't help but grin after seeing his old rival go down the stairs with a skip in his steps. Right behind him, was his ever faithful Pikachu. "Well well. Took you long enough to get down huh Ashy boy? Always the slowpoke am I right?"

Said teen didn't even bother rising to the bait as he gave Gary a cheesy grin. It even came along with a classic thumbs up. "Oh hey Gary! Talk about an awesome day, right buddy? How about you join us for breakfast? Y'know my mom makes awesome pancakes!"

The young researcher then let out a small laugh at his friend's out of character behavior. "Ahaha. Sure thing Ash. Just make sure to drop by the lab later. Grandpa said he had something to talk to you about."

Gary then placed the palm of his hand over his forehead when he saw that Ash was already busy stuffing his mouth with piles of food. "Hey! Ashy boy! Are you even listening?"

Said trainer just waved his free hand in a carefree manner as he shoveled more food into his mouth with the other. Apparently he was too busy to even dignify a response.

The spiky haired brunette then shook his head in exasperation before grabbing a spot on the dining table as well. 'Heh. _This_ is the Sinnoh league champion? I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same then.'

-(scene change: Kalos)-

In another part of the world, one Grace Yvonne was also doing her part as a mother and was cooking a healthy three course breakfast for her daughter-Serena Yvonne.

The much older woman of the house then let out a tiny huff after noticing the clock on the kitchen wall. Grace then beckoned over a small robin-like Pokemon while she sets the table. "Fletchling be a dear and wake up Serena for me. I'm pretty sure it's a bad idea to oversleep on the day of your first journey and I don't want her to come crying to me if she ends up being late to professor Sycamore's lab."

The now revealed Fletchling then gave a tiny salute with its one wing before taking off. Once out of sight, the tiny robin's expression shifted into a more mischievous look as it neared Serena's bedroom…

-(scene change)-

One scream later, Grace didn't even bat an eye at the spectacle of her daughter running down the stairs while chasing a snickering Fletching.

Serena then pouted once she saw the tiny robin retreat to a high cabinet in the kitchen. The girl with honey colored hair then decided to salvage what's left of her dignity and just sat down for breakfast. "Hmph. I know one thing I'm not gonna miss while I'm out on the road and it's definitely Fletchling's wake-up calls!"

Grace just smiled softly in response to her daughter's antics. At the back of her mind, she was gonna miss waking up and having these moments together in the morning. "Look at my little girl! Heading out to the big world, I'm just so proud of you! Just promise me you'll stay safe!"

Blushing a bit, Serena was quick to hide it by staring at her plate. "C'mon mom, I'm not a little kid anymore. I can take care of myself, no problem! I'm sixteen remember?"

The much older brunette couldn't help but laugh a bit from her daughter's speech before she gently grabbed Serena's hand and sent her a warm smile. "I know, I know. You're all grown up now but I can't help it y'know? It's a mom thing. I can't help but look at you and remember that shy little girl who used to hide behind my leg all the time…"

Returning the gesture also with her hand, Serena was quick to mirror her mother's expression as well. "I understand mom but I like to think that I've gone a long way since then. Still if it makes you feel any better, I can at least promise you I'll drop a call every now and then whenever I get to a new town. Deal?"

Grace then widened her smile in response as she firmly shook her daughter's hand. "You drive a hard bargain Serena buuut…alright! You got yourself a deal!"

Serena then began to giggle a bit after shaking her mother's hand. "Okay, are we done now mom? We're both starting to sound like those corny soap operas we like to make fun off."

Said brunette just decided to dignify her daughter's response by playfully sticking her tongue out. "Oh hush you. Can't a mother have her moments?"

Both women then began laughing out loud before resuming their last breakfast together in comfortable silence.

-(scene change)-

"Bye mom! Bye Fletchling! Bye Rhyhorn! I'll miss you guys! I promise I'll call home soon!"

Grace and her Pokemon were more than glad to return Serena's gesture as they all gave their own farewells. The older brunette then wiped off a single tear from her eyes as she gazed at the slowly disappearing form of her daughter in the distance.

Steeling herself, Grace then cheered her hardest. Alongside her, both Fletchling and Rhyhorn were doing their best as well. "Go get 'em Serena! No matter what path you choose on your journey, just remember that I'll always be proud of you!"

On top of the hill that oversees her house, Serena couldn't help but beam at her mother's encouragement. "Thanks mom, that means a lot! I swear I'll be the best at what I can be once I find my own dream! I promise!"

And with that, she was off making tracks. 'Ready or not Kalos, here I come!'

Grace then smiled brightly at her daughter's back before going back to the confides of her own home. Once inside, the older brunette finally realized that her only daughter was gone.

Feeling lonely, Grace began browsing through the family photo album with a small smile on her face. A brief look of sadness then marred her expression as she gazed at a certain photo graph. 'If only Mark was still here, he would've loved seeing Serena off…'

Clenching her fist, the female racer then shook her head as she absentmindedly turned the paged over. 'The past is in the past. I can't change it. The best thing I could do is build a better future for Serena…'

The next page was bittersweet in its own way as it showed Serena's first day of training at Rhyhorn racing. 'I remember barely talking to Serena after Mark passed on. I was too busy grieving in my own way. Then one day, she suddenly told me that she wanted to be a Rhyhorn racer…Looking back, I knew it was a lie deep down but I couldn't face it, instead I took the easy way out.' Grace then felt tears threatening to fall down as she did her best to hold it in. 'I-I should've tried harder to reconnect with Serena…'

The older brunette then wiped her eyes as she did her best in strengthening her resolve. 'Geez. Here I am still crying over spilt milk when I already promised Serena that things are going to be different from now on!'

Grace then smiled warmly as she reached a picture of a younger Serena and right beside her daughter was a certain raven haired youth. Both of them were lying under the shade of a tree asleep with Serena's head resting on the young boy's shoulder. 'I have to thank you some day Ash. Even now of all times, you're still a positive influence on her. Thanks to you, Serena finally had the courage to go out and find her own dream.'

-(scene change: Kanto)-

"Hey Professor Oak, I'm here! It's me Ash! Gary told me you have something important to say to me?"

A bead of sweat then rolled down the back of Ash's head as he saw a haggard looking professor Oak emerge from the stack of research papers on the floor. "Uuuh…Professor Oak? Is this a bad time? I could come back later if you want?"

Professor Oak then stifled a yawn as he slowly ironed out the small kinks in his back. The so called Pokemon prof was quick to wave off the raven haired youth's offer. "Ahaha. It's no trouble at all Ash. In fact, I bet you're just as eager as me to finally get some answers so I think it's best we settle this now my boy."

Ash's brown eyes then lit up in understanding as he recalled all of the good prof's work in the last few days. "You mean, you finally figured out what happened to Charizard during the Sinnoh league finals? That's awesome professor!"

In response, one Samuel Oak was quick to pull out an electronic tablet of some sort and began showing off what he was able to dig up with his fellow regional professors. "It's the latest scientific breakthrough that a colleague of mine just discovered a few months ago. His name is Augustine Sycamore. He's a Pokemon evolution major just like professor Elm. I believe he called this particular phenomena- _ **Mega evolution**_."

Ash was in awe as he gazed at the numerous pictures that showcased ancient stone tablets which depicted Pokemon such as Beedrill, Gardevoir, and even a Tyranitar transcending into a higher form. "Whoa…this is amazing!"

The raven haired youth's reverie was then briefly cut short when the good professor showed him the next set of pictures. It showed what looks like a human raising his right hand high into the air, on said hand's wrist was a bracelet with a brightly glowing jewel at its center. "Unfortunately, this is another thing that has stumped me ever since last night. It would seem there are two requirements in order to achieve mega evolution. First is a strong bond between human and Pokemon. The second is a special keystone and a corresponding evolution stone."

Ash's eyes then widened in realization as he slightly unzipped his jacket and pulled out a white necklace with a strange orb carved at its center. "Are you talking about this professor?"

Said leading authority on Pokemon then dropped his jaw in disbelief as he stared at the small trinket hanging around the raven haired youth's neck. "Great scott! How long did you have this keystone Ash?!"

The pallet town trainer then shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner. "Well the 'keystone' is something my mom gave to me for good luck." Ash's expression then shifted into a more melancholy look as certain memories came to mind. "And the evolution stone was from Serena. She gave it to me as a memento before she moved away with her family when I was twelve."

Seemingly content, professor Oak was more than glad to hear some mysteries cleared up for the sake of his curiosity. "Ahaha! Who would've thought huh Ash? I can't believe the secrets of mega evolution were just at the tip of your fingertips ever since day one! I really can't believe your luck sometimes my boy! And here I thought, meeting a rare Pokemon was the highlight of your very first day as a trainer! Your luck is just impeccable!"

Another bead of sweat then rolled down Ash's head as he sheepishly scratched the back of it. 'I don't even think being lucky is the right word for me anymore. Especially with all the stuff I keep going through the past years…Heck! I already met Arceus and I'm _still_ having trouble believing it!'

Ash then cleared his throat as he was more than eager to change the subject. "So uuh professor Oak, is that everything? I also have something I want to discuss with all my Pokemon before I head back for lunch."

A metaphorical light bulb then hovered over the older male's head as he remembered the other important news he has to deliver to his protégé. "Oh, I almost forgot with all the excitement! Ash, since you're a trainer under my sponsor, the league already notified me that you can challenge the elite four of Sinnoh any time now. You just have to make sure to notify the league officials in advance so they have time to gather everyone before officially starting."

The raven haired youth then waved off that particular news, seeing as he already thought off asking in advance before making his trek towards home. "That's good to hear professor Oak but I already made sure to ask everything I needed to know about my challenge from mr. Goodshow himself. And although I'm pretty stoked with getting a chance to battle the elite four and Cynthia right away, I told him I'll postpone my challenge for now so I could train more."

Ash then clenched his fists in frustration as he recalled the second half of the Sinnoh league finals. "Almost losing against to Tobias was an eye-opener to say the least. As much as I hate to admit it, I haven't been doing my job as a trainer that well. It was at the back of my mind after he managed to equalize the score and even later when Tobias completely turned it around in his favor for a moment…"

The pride of Pallet town then straightened his back a bit more as a determined gleam shone through his brown eyes. "I realized there was a huge power imbalance in my team. I need to find a balance with training my new Pokemon and the veteran members of my squad as well. That's why I did what I had to do. I know being a champion isn't what makes a Pokemon master entirely, but I've got a feeling that it's the right path on becoming one! I refuse to let down my friends who share the same dream with me! We're definitely gonna win against Cynthia and the rest!"

Meanwhile, Professor Oak couldn't help but smile proudly towards the much younger man before him. 'Well who knew? I'm proud of you my boy. You've certainly came a long way ever since the start of your journey huh Ash?'

Clearing his throat, the much older male then decided to switch the subject back on track. "So where do you plan to go for your little training trip Ash? Are you planning to redo the league here in Kanto? Johto? Hoenn, maybe?"

Ash then shook his head in response as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head once more. "Ahaha. I'm actually having trouble deciding where to go…although a change of scenery wouldn't hurt. You know me professor, I love going to new places. New places means new challenges and even cooler in my opinion, new Pokemon!"

Professor Oak then snapped his fingers and was quick to open up another file in his tablet. The picture showed a young man in a lab coat who looked to be about the same age as the raven haired youth's mother. "I think I know just the place Ash! Remember my colleague, professor Sycamore? He's also the regional professor for the Kalos region. As an added bonus, you might be able to learn more about mega evolution as well! I heard from Augustine that their region's strongest trainers have a complete and total mastery of this particular phenomena! Incredible isn't it?"

Ash's brown eyes were practically gleaming with unrestrained joy and excitement from just hearing all the info about his next destination. "Oh man that sounds awesome! Please tell me the new league season for Kalos is starting or about to start? Those trainers have got to be competing and I want a shot in battling with them!"

Seeing the much older male nod was enough for Ash to let out a loud joyous whoop into the air. "Then it's settled! Kalos here we come! How about it Pikachu? Are you ready to take on the Kalos region by storm?"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

CHAPTER III: END

To be continued in: A new journey begins!

That's another wrap! Okay first off, two things. Did anybody enjoy the omake? If so would you want more snippets of Ash and Serena's childhood life? (I'm not putting it into a vote I just want to hear some of your opinions) and the next is, yes this chapter content isn't as long but what can you do? it's not like anyone was battling or something. Just good old character development for others.

Audience: Gasp!

Now for the usual notes:

a.)Serena and Grace's last names are just made up for the sake of this story. What? I have to make something up and a lot of writers do the same thing apparently. Misty, Brock, May, Dawn, and etc. the list goes on.

b.)Yes I killed off Serena's dad in this fic. Dead as in he's not coming back to life or was mia for the sake of the plot. There is no 'edgy' reason either such as suicide, killed by team rocket or any evil organization. He's just dead. Presumably from an accident. And no assassination either. Just accept it people.

Sometimes you don't need a convoluted reason as to why a character only has one parent or even none at all. Not everything needs to be emotionally scarring and edgy just for the sake of being cool. This is freakin Pokemon here people. This isn't like Akame ga kill or Berserk.

c.)Now just because we're nearing Kalos, it doesn't mean I'm going to rehash canon. This is an AU fanfic and I'm making my own story as I go along. Yes I've planned things out. The only worry is my typing speed and whatever distractions life throws at me.

d.)So far Charizard is the only one of Ash's Pokemon that could mega evolve. I have no plans in making the rest do it too. Sorry you Sceptile, Heracross, and Glalie fans. My mind is set. I think the honor of mega evolving should go to one's ace Pokemon. e.g. Ash and Charizard, Alain and his charizard, Siebold and Blastoise, Diantha and Gardevoir, Korrina and Lucario.

e. I actually laughed out loud when I read this from my inbox. Somebody actually wanted Pikachu to mega evolve. It doesn't stop there. He/she wanted me to make one up. Like that'll happen.

Let me make this clear, there will be no non-canon evolutions or any fakemon in this fic. I hope this would be the first and last of this kinds of messages. Go to effin deviantart if you want to fulfill your Pikachu mega evolution fantasy.


	4. Chapter 4

Before we begin the next chapter. I'd like to reply to the following guest reviews:

a.) **This is AU**. As in alternate universe! This fic's Sceptile is different from canon Sceptile. I thought I made this clear with the summary alone. I already made a couple of tweaks that were obvious that this was effin AU. I'm only using canon as a template but try not to compare canonical feats too much.

Here are some blatant examples that the events in this story takes place in a different universe. Ash in the finals. Ash with a keystone. Ash winning against Tobias. It goes without saying that his Pokemon will receive the same treatment as well.

Next I am aware of how type advantage works. I am simply going by Anime rules and some real world logic with how I approach the battles.

The anime has shown us that type advantage isn't always everything in a battle. Circumstances will happen and both combatants have a fair chance of winning.

For example Swellow's aerial ace. Now I'm pretty sure when you momentarily disappear with speed alone and then ram someone, it goes without saying that it is going to fucking hurt. The move itself says the user travels at incredible speeds before reappearing to strike. It's also not like Zapdos has any thick fat or armor to absorb the blows. (Snorlax, Golem, Aggron, etc.)

b.)The next review made a compelling argument despite its simple nature. It's about my decision with having only mega evolution restricted to the trainer's ace Pokemon.

I'm on the mends with this one. My reason is that I'm using the anime's template with trainers only having one Pokemon that could mega evolve. On the other hand, having more than one mega evolution has its own advantages for future battles.

Like the first round it could be Charizard Y then the next round will be mega Sceptile.

Anyway I'd like to hear more of your thoughts (yes, you the readers) on this particular topic.

Also a little shout-out to you other readers who have shown their support so far. I appreciate that all the hard work so far has been worth it and well received.

P.S. sorry that I can't give out names right now but I don't wanna abuse the word count any further. This author's note is dragging on a little.

CHAPTER IV: A new journey begins!

 _Last time: "Then it's settled! Kalos here we come! How about it Pikachu? Are you ready to take on the Kalos region by storm?"_

" _Pi-Pikachu!"_

 _And now:_

"Okay guys, gather around! I have an announcement to make!"

Ash's words rang throughout the entire clearing and it wasn't long before all of his Pokemon answered the call. The raven haired youth then began to pale when certain members of his squad kept on charging to his location with happy smiles on their faces. "Wait guys! That's enough! Sto-Gah!"

Pikachu couldn't help but wince when his trainer was promptly crushed under the combined weight of Bayleef, Muk, and one of his overly-affectionate Tauros.

"Gak! Choking…not breathing! Urg. A little help here guys…!"

The Pallet town trainer then let out a breath of relief when his other Pokemon got to work on saving him. It was considerably easy thanks to Bulbasaur's Vine whip and Noctowl's Confusion. "Hehe. Thanks you two. I owe you one!"

Both mentioned Pokemon returned the gesture with a happy nod towards their friend-slash-master. Bulbasaur then began to chew out his fellow Pokemon with a stern and reprimanding look engraved on his small face.

In response, the culprits had the decency to look both ashamed and somewhat sheepish for accidently causing harm to their trainer.

Their kicked puppy expressions was more than enough to tug Ash's heart strings. "Ahaha. It's okay Bulbasaur, I think they've learned their lesson for now."

Said seed Pokemon then let out an exasperated breath towards his trainer and couldn't help the bemused grin from showing on his face when Bayleef and the rest were practically beaming at the raven haired youth.

Ash then cleared his throat and clapped his palms once in order to get everyone's attention. "Okay now that the ice is officially broken, I think it's time we get down to business."

Seeing that everyone was more than glad to quiet down and listen, the pallet town trainer continued on for the sake of the meeting. "It's about our upcoming match with Cynthia and the elite four…" All his Pokemon couldn't help but gasp and began murmuring to each other with their respective tongues. Ash then waited for everybody to quiet down before continuing his piece. "Yeah, the big one. Our toughest battle yet. The league already notified me that we have all the time we need to train and prepare."

The rest of Ash's Pokemon began grinning in excitement as they caught on to their trainer's words.

Returning the gesture, the raven haired youth was eager to confirm his Pokemon's suspicions. "Yup, you guessed it. By 'we', I meant us. As in all of _us._ There's no other way I'd have it! I owe it to you guys for sharing the same dream as me so for our next journey, I'll be rotating between all of you weekly for training over at the Kalos region."

Every one of his Pokemon then let out a resounding cheer after hearing the news. Their excitement was understandable considering a majority of them haven't battled in a long time. Each and every one of them were more than ready to prove their worth once more.

All the excitement and energy was more than enough to pump up Ash even further. "Ahaha. Okay guys, for now I'll be picking three of you to take with me to Kalos. The extra two slots are for any new Pokemon we might meet along the way. So any volunteers?"

Before any of the assembled Pokemon had their chance to voice out any of their opinions, a resounding roar cut through everyone's voices as a familiar orange dragon made his presence known by dramatically landing in the middle of the clearing where they were currently meeting.

Ash's brown eyes lit up when he confirmed it was his very own ace Pokemon. "No way! Charizard is that yo-"

The raven haired youth was then cut off via a flamethrower to the face.

The pride of Pallet town then gave the flame Pokemon a half-hearted glare before wiping the soot off of him. "What are you doing here Charizard? I thought you were heading back to Charicific valley?"

Said fire type just rolled his eyes in response and was quick to point a Pokeball on Ash's belt before gesturing to himself in an arrogant fashion.

Getting the gist of it, Ash plucked the Pokeball off his belt and looked at the orange dragon curiously. "Are you saying you want to come with me Charizard? You sure buddy?"

Another weakened flamethrower to his face was the answer he got.

Spluttering, Ash then coughed from the soot before raising his hands in defeat. "Ahaha. Okay pal, I hear you loud and clear! It'll be a blast travelling with you again!"

Charizard grinned in satisfaction as the orange dragon then made his way towards Ash's side. The fire type then gave Pikachu a nod of acknowledgement which the electric rodent returned.

Returning to the matter at hand, the raven haired youth then shifted his focus back to his assembled Pokemon with a good natured grin on his face. "So who's next?"

-(scene change/time skip: two days later)-

Ash then adjusted his brand new hat as he absentmindedly felt the weight of the three Pokeballs on his belt. It was a tough choice to narrow down but he was content with the team he assembled for now.

Charizard. Alongside his starter, the orange dragon is now officially a constant party member. The fire type didn't want to miss a single thing while travelling over the Kalos region and swore he'd use overheat on the raven haired youth if he even thought about sending him back to the lab.

Ash can't help but shiver at the memory.

The remaining slots were Bulbasaur and Totodile. At first, Ash was worried about Bulbasaur's job on the ranch but they were able to work out a system whenever the seed Pokemon wasn't present then it was up to Noctowl to fill in.

As for Totodile, the small water type is one of the raven haired youth's least used Pokemon. Something which he planned to rectify soon. That goes the same for the rest of his squad back home at the ranch.

"Flight 104 to Kalos is about to depart soon. I repeat, flight 104 to Kalos is about to depart. Please head to gate four."

Grabbing his green backpack, Ash then pumped his fist in excitement before rushing off with Pikachu in tow. "Alright! You ready Pikachu? Let's get things in gear already! I can't wait to start our new journey!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

-(scene change: Kalos)-

"Hello! Professor Sycamore? It's me, Serena! I've come here to pick out my starter Pokemon!"

The honey colored blonde felt herself flush a little when an admittedly attractive older man emerged from the hallway to her left. The male had wavy black hair and he was wearing a white lab coat.

The mysterious male then waved his one hand towards her as a greeting."Ah you must be the new trainer. Serena Yvonne right? It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Professor Sycamore."

Serena acknowledged the gesture and gave a small bow in response. "Yup, that's me! I'm more than ready to start professor!"

Seemingly pleased with her enthusiasm, professor Sycamore then clasped his hands together before beckoning someone over. "Magnificent! Oh Sophie! The new trainer is here! Could you bring over the starter Pokemon for me please!"

"I'm on my way professor!"

Serena felt her jaw drop when a beautiful woman wearing a lab coat came from the same hallway the professor used. She had dark blue hair as her notifying features and she was also carrying a tray that held three Pokeballs. 'No way! Is this a research lab or a modeling agency?! Everybody looks like they belong in show-business for crying out loud!'

Professor Sycamore then cleared his throat as he picked up a Pokeball from his assistant's tray. "Okay first up, we have the grass Pokemon-Chespin!"

After tossing the sphere towards the air, it soon released a brown otter-like Pokemon with some sort of green shell that covered the back of his head to halfway his tail. The small grass type then gave a happy wave towards the blonde girl in which Serena gladly returned.

The much older male grinned at the interaction between human and Pokemon as he began petting the spiny nut Pokemon's head out of affection. "Ahaha. As you can see, grass types are very easy to raise for beginners. These Pokemon tend to be pretty easygoing."

Serena couldn't help but giggle as Chespin began lazing about by laying on the floor with a lopsided grin on his face. "Yeah I can see that. He seems pretty okay to me!"

Smiling, professor Sycamore then moved onto the next Pokeball before tossing it into the air. "Next up, we have the water type-Froakie!"

Materializing on the floor, the small lightshow soon revealed a small blue frog which oddly had a mane of bubbles surrounding his upper torso. The water type then looked at Serena and rolled his yellow eyes before turning his head away from the blonde girl.

Serena felt her one eye twitch at the somewhat arrogant attitude and couldn't help but glare at the small water type. "I don't think I like this Pokemon too much professor."

A bead of sweat then rolled down the back of his head as professor Sycamore sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Ehehe. Sorry about that Serena. Froakie is actually very picky of what his trainer will be. I guess you could say that he's an example that some trainers will have to work for their Pokemon's respect and cooperation."

Said blonde girl felt her eyes widen at that particular info. "Really?! So does that mean a Pokemon can even choose to disobey their trainers if they want to?"

The professor's mouth was set into a thin line as he grimly nodded. "Well it is rare but not entirely impossible to happen either. The most common cause is a difference of goals or just plain incompatibility with the trainer's mindset. Like for example, a Pokemon who prefers battling will often ignore his or her trainer who happens to be a coordinator."

Serena can't help but feel slightly cowed at the news and began looking at Chespin and Froakie at a new light. "Wow, Pokemon sure are something else! I never really thought about how they can be this unique!"

The much older male nodded in satisfaction at the young girl's answer as he sent her a small smile. "Yup! As a rookie trainer, I would like you to keep in mind that all Pokemon are special in their own way. They all have their own dreams and goals. Just like us humans. Incredible right?"

Seeing Serena nod in agreement, professor Sycamore was quick to grab another Pokeball from the tray. "Okay back on track! Last but not least, we have the fire type-Fennekin!"

From the sphere, a small yellow fox with red tuffs of fur emerged. The fire type then let out a cute yip as it blew small embers into the air.

Serena couldn't help but gush at the sheer cuteness of the last Kalos starter. "Oh my God! She is just absolutely adorable!"

Said fire type then began to blush at the praise and let out another yip of approval.

Professor Sycamore can't help the ear-splitting grin form on his face at the two female's interaction. "Ahaha. Fennekin over here is a new addition to the lab. She's the youngest out of the three here with Froakie being the eldest among them. As you can see, she's got a lot of spunk for her age."

The much older male then waved his hand in an elegant manner as he gestured to the three Pokemon behind him. "Now that introduction is over, who are you going to pick as your starter Pokemon, huh Serena?"

The honey colored blonde then let out a small hum as she switched her gaze between all three starters. Serena then grinned once she met Fennekin's large orange eyes. "No offense to Chespin and Froakie, professor but I think there's something special about Fennekin that I just like!"

Yipping in excitement, the small yellow fox then eagerly jumped into her new trainer's waiting arms.

In response, Serena involuntarily giggled as she felt the fire type's soft fur tickle her skin. "Ehehe. I think we're going to make a great team! You and me Fennekin!"

Professor Sycamore then beamed a proud smile towards the newly formed duo as he pulled out a rectangular device from another desk, alongside it was some spare Pokeballs. "Ahaha. I'm sure both of you will go far in the Pokemon world! Now here are some important tools of the trade that I'm sure you'll find useful on your journey!"

The professor then showed off the red device with a wave of his hand. "This handy little gadget is called the Pokedex! It's an electronic encyclopedia that tells you anything you need to know about Pokemon! Just point the camera towards any Pokemon and like so-"

" _Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon. Fennekin expels hot air that can reach nearly 400 degrees. It likes to snack on twigs."_

" _This Pokemon knows the following moves:_ _ **Scratch, Tail whip, Ember.**_ _"_

Awed at the technological marvel, Serena began carefully looking it over after the much older male handed it over. "Whoa! This is amazing, professor!-" The honey colored blonde then began fidgeting as she sent the male researcher an apprehensive look. "Uumm… Is it really alright for a rookie like me to have this?"

Professor Sycamore was quick to wave off the young girl's concern with a boisterous laugh of his own. "Ahaha. It's no trouble at all Serena! It's actually standard procedure for any trainer that is sponsored by their region's researcher! After all, it'd be terribly irresponsible of me and my colleagues to send newbies like you out into the world without having some sort of guide to educate you on Pokemon. "

Smiling thankfully, Serena then put away her brand new Pokedex inside her bag before giving a bow of gratitude. "Well then thanks a lot professor Sycamore! I promise to put it to good use!"

The male researcher couldn't help but smile softly at the younger girl before him. Being appreciated by trainers never really did get old. Whether they were rookies or veterans, it was a nice gesture all the same. "You're welcome Serena. Now here are some spare Pokeballs for your journey as well. Like all the other starting trainers, I can only give you five to hopefully fill out your party but if you happen to ran out due to circumstances then I'm afraid you're going to have to buy your own from the local Poke-mart."

Serena nodded in understanding as she accepted the small spheres before safely tucking them away into her bag as well. "Thanks again professor, I appreciate it!"

The young blonde then beamed at her new partner as she squatted down in order to meet the fire type's eager gaze. "Alright Fennekin! Are you ready to start our journey together?"

A resounding yip was her answer and on some level, Serena just knew that the small fox was saying yes in her own special way.

Letting out a small cheer, Serena wasted no time in standing up and pointed dramatically towards the door. "Okay then! Let's go Fennekin!"

Agreeing with her new trainer, the small fox like Pokemon charged straight for the door with great zeal but immediately stopped when the fire type noticed Serena standing still with an inquisitive look on her features.

"Uuuh…Just where would be a great place to start exactly?"

Both Fennekin and professor Sycamore promptly face-planted towards the ground.

Said male researcher was the first one to recover and was more than glad to help. "Well a good place to start for rookie trainers like you would be Santalune city! The Pokemon over there aren't all that tough so you could either get some experience or add them to your party if you want. If that's not enough then the city also has a trainer school that's sponsored by the league."

In response, Serena couldn't help but clasp both her hands in excitement. "That's perfect for me and Fennekin! Thanks professor!"

This time, the honey colored blonde finally made it to the door before giving her final goodbyes to the much older man. Right behind her was an equally excited Fennekin.

"Okay! Santalune city here we come!"

-(scene change)-

A certain raven haired youth was the last one to leave the airplane as he began to stretch out the small kinks in his body due to the infamous jetlag. The young man then took a deep breath in before loudly proclaiming his existence to the world.

"Alright! Get ready Kalos, Ash Ketchum of Pallet town is finally here!"

This was proven to be a very bad thing when the majority of the entire Kalos airport, all stopped like clockwork and settled for staring in utter disbelief towards the pride of Pallet town.

"No way! Ash Ketchum?! He's here in Kalos?!"

"Whoa! Didn't he win the Sinnoh league a few days ago? That match against Tobias was freakin' amazing!"

A small bead of sweat then rolled down the back of Ash's head as he listened to the crowd's murmuring. 'Okay this is new…I'm pretty sure this never happened to me before…'

"OhmyGod! OhmyGod! It's Ash ketchum! It's a dream come true!"

"No way, you're right! I have to get his autograph! He is just sooo cute!"

Said raven haired youth began to pale when some of the females in the crowd, started to develop a hungry look in their eyes as each and every one of them slowly _stalked_ towards his presence. Literally stalked. There are no other words to describe it. 'Alright now I'm definitely scared!'

Deciding he didn't want to stick around anymore, Ash immediately made a break for it by making a mad dash towards the gates before anyone else. As for Pikachu, the small rodent was doing his best in hanging for dear life on his trainer's hat.

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Just hang on for now Pikachu! We just need to get a cab outside the airport and we're home-free!"

Clearly not understanding the peril his friend was in, the electric type sent his trainer a disbelieving look. "Pi-Pika! Pikachu!"

"What?! There's no way I'm slowing down! Or even think about stopping! All my instincts as a trainer are practically screaming to run!"

Ash then made the mistake of looking back and swore there were hearts in the female mob's eyes.

"Wait, don't go! At least, let me touch your Pokeballs!"

The pallet town trainer couldn't help but blanch and subconsciously willed his legs to go even faster than before. 'Yup. Definitely not stopping no matter what!'

Once finally outside, the raven haired youth thanked his lucky stars as he instantly managed to get a cab from the usually busy terminals.

"So where to sir? Whoa, hey! Aren't you the champion of the Sinnoh league?!"

Ash then let out a small groan and couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose. The young man then panicked once he saw his rabid fans reappear from the side of the windows. "Gah! Just take me to professor Sycamore's lab and step on it!"

The driver, who's simply a blonde man with no other notifying features was quick to snap back into reality and understood the situation with a grim look on his face. "Ah fans, I got ya. Don't worry kid, you're not the first celebrity I chauffeured on this airport. I know a thing or two about losing them so you better hang on tight to those seatbelts!"

The raven haired youth then released a small breath of relief while he made sure that his starter was safely buckled up as well. "Thanks! You're a real live save-"

Whatever Ash had to say was then cut off when the much older man simply pushed the pedal to the mettle as the small blue cab rocketed off towards the highway at a relatively fast pace.

"Aaaaa-"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! After I get you to professor Sycamore's place, can I get your autograph? I've got a kid and he's a huge fan of yours!"

"-Aaaaahhh!"

"I'll take that as a yes then!"

-(scene change)-

Professor Sycamore was just making himself busy when he heard the doors opening and began mentally preparing himself for greeting a new trainer. "Welcome to my lab! I'm sure you already know but for formality's sake, my name is-Ash?! What on earth happened to you?!"

The so-called new trainer was actually none other than the Pallet town native himself. Although the reason for the shock is because of the raven haired youth's unusual sickly complexion. "No offense young man but you look horrible! I hope your flight wasn't that bad!"

Resisting the urge to puke on the older man's floor, Ash just settled for a weak thumbs up in response. Behind him, Pikachu's head was poking out of the raven haired youth's backpack. The small rodent was unfortunately passed out. "Urp. The flight was fine actually. I can't say the same for some of my fans at the airport though…"

Nodding in understanding, the much older male sent the young trainer before him a sympathetic look to his current plight. "Ah yes, fame indeed is a heavy burden Ash. I know how you feel. Even now that I have Sophie with me, some fans just don't know when to give up."

Coughing a bit, the raven haired youth just wanted to get some things over with. "No offense professor Sycamore, I just want to get down to business. This day has been crazy enough."

Letting out at a jovial laugh, said researcher couldn't help but wipe a single tear away from his eye. Seeing Ash's disheveled state sure brought back memories. Only now he understood how funny it was when he's not the victim for once. "None taken Ash. I can only imagine what you've went through. Anyway, I'd be more than glad to update your Pokedex!"

Ash then sent a small smile of gratitude to the professor as he handed over the Sinnohdex. "Thanks professor, I appreciate this."

-(scene change)-

A few keystrokes later by said researcher, the complicated looking machine in Sycamore's lab was finally done with its duties and presented the new and improved piece of machinery to the raven haired youth. "Aaand done! One Kalos Pokedex to go! Here you go Ash!"

Seemingly recovered for now, Ash beamed in excitement as he started inspecting the latest upgrade to his electronic encyclopedia. "Sweet! Now all that's left for me to do is register for the Kalos league and challenge the nearest gym leader here! I can't wait!"

The much older male then scratched his chin in a pondering manner before suddenly raising one finger up into the air. "Then how about the Santalune gym for starters? I'm afraid the Lumiose gym has a strict four gym badges and above rule. Champion or not, it'd be pretty hard to convince him otherwise."

Raising a single eyebrow, the raven haired youth couldn't help but scratch his head in confusion and slight disappointment. "Well it's not like I don't understand. Every gym has their own rules but what's his reason?"

Smiling a bit, professor Sycamore was more than glad to elaborate. "Clemont made this rule since he's usually so busy inventing for the city. A lot of people rely on his technical know-how so it makes sense he's also the head of the technological innovations department. With a position like that, he can't unfortunately answer gym battles that often hence the rule he made."

Ash couldn't help but gasp in awe as he switched his gaze to an open window that showed the Lumiose tower in the distance. "Woah…So he's like Volkner from Sinnoh then? But not as lazy!"

The male researcher laughed a bit from the young man's somewhat accurate comparison. "Ahaha. Yes I suppose so. Although he's not as old as Volkner, Clemont is just as passionate about battling and inventing as well."

Hearing this, the raven haired youth can't help but pump his fist in excitement at the prospect of a challenging opponent in the near future. "Wow, he sounds pretty cool! I can't wait to fight him in the future!"

The pride of Pallet town then shouldered his green backpack as he sent another grin to the older male before making his exit. Right behind him was a recovered Pikachu, eager to start as well. "Well thanks for everything professor Sycamore! I promise to keep in touch, after all, there's more stuff I wanna ask about mega evolution in the future!"

The much older man was more than glad to return the same gesture as he bade goodbye as well. "No problem Ash! It was my pleasure! Good luck out there!"

Unbeknownst to the two males, Ash was actually being watched and later followed by something with large yellow eyes as he exited the lab.

"Fro-Froakie…"

CHAPTER IV: END

To be continued in: An unexpected reunion!

And end scene! And come on guys, keep the reviews coming. I need some feedback here if you want to continue this story. Whether you admit it or not, reviews are currency. No payment means no updates. It's that simple.

Don't let laziness conquer you and think about the amount I write and compare it to a simple review and how long are those suppose to be? I'm not even asking for long ass essay's detailing your reaction to every chapter, I just need to know if this story is worth investing any more effort into it cause I could just jump shift to some of my other fics that need fixing up too y'know.

Anyway some usual notes before I wrap it up:

a.)Ash's temporary team for now is revealed and feel free to help me decide for future rotations.

b.)Like in any AU fic, Ash will be catching non-canon Pokemon. Some are already planned but I'm open minded to some suggestions providing you can back it up with a good reason.

For example I don't want to hear 'I want Ash to have a Salamance cause it's so cool!'

c.)Yes some Pokemon Like Squirtle are scheduled to have their return to Ash's squad.

d.)The scene with Professor Sycamore is just to emulate some female fans reactions. The majority claims he is one fine looking man. Serena's next reaction is based on that online joke how Pokemon X/Y has a huge cast of very attractive looking NPC's. Both Male and female.

You've got Sycamore, Siebold, Diantha, Alexa, Viola, player's mom, etc.

e.)Clemont is more like his game counterpart rather than his anime self here. So yeah, he's more competent since I'm pretty sure he's responsible for a lot of other inventions in the X/Y games.


	5. Chapter 5

A quick author's note before we begin our regularly scheduled fic:

This is in regards to my choices for Ash's team in the Sinnoh league finals. I knew it was inevitable since this is the internet but someone will always whine about my decisions.

Once again we look to Swellow, Ash's go-to-flying Pokemon in the Hoenn region. Someone pm'ed me that picking Swellow for the finals is a 'monumentally stupid-ass decision' (his words not mine) and I should've brought in Pidgeot or Noctowl instead.

What is your problem with Swellow, huh guys? Yes it's a common Pokemon since it evolves from Taillow but please, stop giving it so much flak. Remember, I'm somewhat basing this on the anime and it was already shown that it's possible for even legendaries to fall.

Articuno, the three regi's, darkrai, and latios ring any bells anyone?

What's that? What about type advantages? Like I said, I already know about effin type advantages. Once more to reiterate, I'm using anime laws! Having a type advantage in the anime is helpful but isn't a-hundred percent sure that you'll have the guaranteed win.

Oh what's this? You're saying it's unrealistic for a simple Swellow to beat a legendary? Two words. BULL-SHIT. So you're saying it's unrealistic for a Swellow to win but it's pretty acceptable for a FUCKING Pikachu to beat a Regice and draw against a Latios?

Huh, you're saying that's not fair since Pikachu is at least experienced? Again, I say bullshit! Swellow is probably the most experienced flying type currently on Ash's squad with some pretty memorable feats. Pidgeotto/Pidgeot only stayed for Kanto. Noctowl stayed for Johto. Staraptor for Sinnoh and Unfezant for Unova.

Swellow stayed for both Hoenn and the Kanto Battle frontier. And in that short time, he's got a pretty impressive track record. As a Taillow, he endured multiple thunderbolts and even a freakin Thunder attack from everyone's favorite rodent. Despite having Pikachu's help, he was still able to use the electricity from the thunder attack instead of hurting him. Does anyone get it? He actually benefitted from something that could potentially kill him.

Not convinced? How about the time he endured a straight-up close range Hyper beam to the face after his defense was weakened and still managed to win. Or when he beat a Hariyama and a Donphan back-to-back in a Hoenn league match. The same match he stopped a much heavier Donphan with leg strength alone after taking too many rollout attacks.

Finally, he even had the strength to crack a Metagross' skin (?) Or armor, I think. I don't know what the hell to call it actually.

Okay that's it for now. I think this author's note is dragging on again. I sometimes ramble. My point is, Swellow is a pretty badass Pokemon. He's just usually overshadowed by Pikachu, Charizard, Sceptile, and Infernape to name a few. (I mentioned the following Pokemon since they were given the most character development in canon)

CHAPTER V: An unexpected reunion!

 _Last time: "Okay! Santalune city here we come!"_

 _And now:_

"Okay, I admit it! We're lost! Stupid map!"

"Pikachuuu…"

Ash could only sheepishly rub the back of his head as he listened to his starter Pokemon's grumbling. "Okay maybe I should've paid extra for that fancy pda with the built-in gps but in my defense, twenty-thousand Pokedollars seemed like a huge rip-off. So why buy it when I can get a map instead?"

The small rodent made sure to give his friend-slash-master a very cross look in response.

Raising his hands in defeat, the Pallet town trainer could only avert his gaze elsewhere. "Okay, fair point. It's not like I paid full attention to Brock's lesson when it comes to navigating…"

The raven haired youth then heard the small rhythmic taps of Pikachu's foot and he felt his ears burn in embarrassment. "…Alright, I didn't pay attention at all! I was too busy admiring the trophy! Are you happy now Pikachu?"

Ash couldn't help but glare when the small Pokemon sent him an incredibly smug look. "Yeah yeah Pikachu, you've made your point. I should've bought the pda at least."

The young male then let out a wistful sigh as he began reminiscing while continuing their trek through the woods. "Besides the whole training thing, I didn't seriously thought about the smaller details. Ahaha, we've always had good ol' Brock-o to count on huh buddy?"

The electric type agreed as well and gladly mirrored his trainer's expression. Brock was at least a good number two on his good guys list, with Ash himself being number one. Pikachu then let out a sigh as he fondly looked back at all of the meals he'll definitely miss.

Seeing his Pokemon's expression, Ash was quick to kneel down on one knee and comfort the small rodent. "I know it's tough Pikachu. I miss Brock too. I can at least promise you that I'll do a better job of leading from now on. After all, I promised him and mom that I'll take care of all of us."

"Chaaa…"

Ash then laughed a bit from the feeling of Pikachu's fur tickling him as the small rodent nuzzled him with extreme care. "Ahaha. Okay that's enough Pikachu. I think it's time we get back on track huh buddy?"

Said Pokemon happily nodded in response. Grinning, the pride of Pallet town then stood tall once more and plucked out a single Pokeball off of his belt. "Alright! Charizard, we need a little help here!"

Once the orange dragon fully materialized, the larger fire type let loose his signature earth-shaking roar that managed to scare off any wild Pokemon in the vicinity.

Charizard then noticed his surroundings and couldn't help but snort. The flame Pokemon then sent his trainer a teasing smirk as he crossed his arms in disbelief.

Pikachu just settled for a light chuckle as he scampered onto the orange dragon's back. As for Ash, the raven haired youth was quick to follow his starter's lead while blushing again out of embarrassment. "Yeah yeah. Laugh it up. Sixteen year-old Ash Ketchum still gets lost…"

The Pallet town trainer then groaned when his two loyal Pokemon proceeded to laugh like there's no tomorrow. 'Stupid Geography…It's not my fault I'm directionally challenged.'

-(scene change)-

Back on the forest below, not every Pokemon high-tailed it as soon as Charizard roared to the heavens.

Large yellow eyes looked on in awe towards the sky as the orange dragon's form slowly disappeared in the distance.

The small blue Pokemon clenched his trembling webbed hands at the mere thought of getting to that level of strength one day. That sheer power and speed? Incredible…

"Fro-Froakie!"

-(scene change)-

"Y'know when I first left home, it was a little scary. But with you here Fennekin, it isn't so bad!"

Said fire type yipped in agreement while proudly strutting her stuff on the old dirt path. Serena then giggled from her new partner's antics while making sure she keeps an eye on her pink pda.

The honey colored blonde then let out a small shriek once she felt something heavy land on top of her hat. "Oh my God! W-What is it?!"

A shrill cry then pierced the air and both Fennekin and Serena flinched from the unknown sound. The next thing she knew, Serena felt absolute pain as something sharp kept hitting her scalp.

Quickly taking off her hat, the mysterious culprit leaped off towards the ground and revealed itself to be a small brown bird who looked ready for a fight.

Rubbing her sore head, the honey colored blonde glared tearfully at her new adversary. "Geez! Just what is it about bird Pokemon that seemed to hate me?"

Fennekin also mirrored her trainer's expression and began angrily barking while standing protectively in front of Serena with a determined look on her face.

The fire type felt one of her eyes twitch when the tiny bird Pokemon responded kindly with a very rude gesture.

After recovering somewhat from her pain, Serena wasn't amused either and opted for pulling out her Pokedex instead.

" _Pidgey, the tiny bird Pokemon. Among all the flying Pokemon, it is usually the most gentlest and easiest to capture. A perfect target for any beginner trainer to test his or her Pokemon's skills. Its signature moves are Gust and Sand attack."_

Nodding at the information, Serena then gained a more confident look in her blue eyes. "Alright then! I'm not one to look for a fight but this is perfect for us rookies! Are you with me Fennekin?"

In response, the small fire type yipped in excitement as she settled into a more proper fighting stance.

With a wave of her one hand, the honey colored blonde was eager to make the first move. "Let's do this! Try an Ember attack!"

Said orange fox then unleashed a barrage of small flames from her open mouth. Acting quickly, her opponent immediately took to the skies and countered with a strong gust of wind.

Pidgey then repeated the same rude gesture from the air and Fennekin felt herself getting more ticked off at the tiny bird Pokemon. Another ember attack soon followed and the same sequence happened once more.

Serena then gritted her teeth in frustration as she noticed her starter flinching in pain from the strong winds. 'Not good. That Pidgey has the advantage while in the air. I can't just keep on spamming the same attacks in a row. I've got to think of something or this battle is over!'

The honey colored blonde then winced when her Pokemon failed to dodge another gust attack. Judging from how shaky the fire type's legs are, Fennekin doesn't have much stamina left. A couple more hits and it's over. 'W-What should I do?! I can't think of anything!'

Clenching both her fists in frustration, Serena knew it was wrong to panic in this situation but clearly, her nerves are getting the better of her. 'What should I do?! I can't let Fennekin down! I'm her trainer!'

As the battle went on, Serena then widened her eyes as she thought back towards a certain raven haired youth's accomplishment in the last week. 'That's it! What would Ash do…?!'

The honey colored blonde felt herself smirk as a plan began forming inside her head. "He'd think outside the box! I've got to do the same thing somehow! Fennekin, are you with me? I've got an idea!"

Despite the pain, the small fire type still had the energy to nod back with a determined look etched on her face.

"Try and bait it down with Tail whip!"

Fennekin then managed to dodge another gust attack by chance and responded by waving her tail in a taunting fashion.

Feeling more ticked off, the tiny bird Pokemon let out an indignant screech and followed it up with another gust. Unfortunately for him, the small fire type dodged yet again and repeated the same attack.

Abandoning all sense of reason, Pidgey then promptly nose-dived at incredible speeds towards his target. A text-book Tackle attack. The only thing on the flying type's mind was absolute victory.

Serena then pumped her fist in excitement as she saw the reckless charge and knew it was checkmate. "Yes! He's wide open! Use ember again Fennekin! Let's make it count!"

Gathering all her energy's reserves, said fire type then unleashed her biggest ember attack yet. One split second later, the attack easily connected and a defeated Pidgey crashed down back to earth.

Acting quickly on instinct, the honey colored blonde instantly pulled out a spare Pokeball from her bag and chucked it towards the wild Pokemon.

Serena then bit her lip nervously as she eagerly watched the red and white sphere roll back-and-forth. In actual time, it was only three seconds but for her, it may has well been forever.

The female trainer then remembered to breath when a resounding click on the Pokeball's mechanism was clearly heard.

Serena then blinked once. Then she blinked twice, and finally thrice.

Snapping back into reality, the honey colored blonde then let out a victorious cheer as she picked up her newly acquired party member's Pokeball and raised it high into the air. Right beside her, Fennekin was more than glad to mimic her trainer as well. "We did it Fennekin! We won! I even managed to catch my first Pokemon! This is amazing!"

Serena then proudly beamed at the Pokeball clutched in her right hand. "We may not have gotten a good start but I'm sure we'll make a good team, Pidgey!"

-(scene change)-

"Excuse me miss, this is the Santalune Pokemon center right?"

"Why yes it is. I'm nurse Joy, what can I help you with?"

A certain honey colored blonde smiled gratefully in return as she handed over two Pokeballs to the older woman before her. "For now, I want to recover my two Pokemon if it's alright?"

In response, the pink haired nurse was more than glad to return the smile. "It would be my pleasure! Just present your Pokedex later when they're ready to be picked up!"

Acknowledging the new piece of info with a nod. The younger girl then straightened out her back as she began to reminisce the events of the past few days. It would have been an easier trek if her newly acquired Pidgey wasn't too stubborn in the first place.

Luckily for her, the tiny bird Pokemon was easily pacified with treats for now…

Serena then let out a long sigh and can't help the sad train of thoughts that soon followed. "Some trainer I turned out to be…the first Pokemon I caught and he won't even listen to me…"

"Things aren't going so great at the start of your journey huh?"

Startled by the familiar voice, the honey colored blonde turned her head and saw it was the same nurse from before. Blushing a bit out of embarrassment, Serena couldn't help but lower her head a bit. "O-Oh Nurse joy! I didn't notice you there!...U-Ummm, you managed to hear what I said, right?"

Said older female nodded in response. She then proceeded to give the younger girl before her, a gentle smile. "Sorry about that but yeah I heard everything. Anyway, I just wanna say 'don't give up yet!'. I've seen a lot of trainers had their fair share of rough starts but they still managed to turn things around for the better! You could do the same as well! I know you can!"

Serena then felt her face grew even redder from the encouragement. Growing up, she was always weak to praises. "I appreciate the gesture nurse Joy…" A few seconds later, she then felt the same feeling of doubt creeping up on her again as she remembered all of her faults so far. "I-It's just that I can't help but feel that I'm in way over my head! I even barely know what I'm doing as a trainer! Talk about sad, am I right?"

"If you feel so inadequate then why not learn?"

Something gleamed in Serena's blue eyes as she felt them widen in shock. The younger girl then looked at the nurse before her smile in a teasing way. It was as if she knew something that only she knows. The perks of someone being more older and experienced she guessed. "L-Learn…?"

In response, Nurse joy's smile seemed to widen. "Yep! I know it's scary after taking the first step on your journey. Trust me, I've been there as well. But believe me, it won't help you in the long run if you second guess now of all times! Once you take that first step then all you can do is keep moving forward! And the only way to move forward is to learn! Then one day, you'll look back and wonder what was so scary in the first place!"

A small fire was now lit in Serena's eyes as she felt her confidence rise up once more. "W-Wow! Thanks a lot nurse Joy! It wasn't even your job to cheer me up and you still went out of your way to do it! You're incredible!"

It was now the much older woman's turn to blush in embarrassment as she sheepishly waved off the blonde's praise. "Ahehe. It's no problem at all. It was just the right thing to do, so it was my pleasure!"

Nurse Joy then grabbed a hold of a pamphlet from the counter near her before handing it over to the much younger girl. "Anyway, I'm sure you already know but the best place for you to start is at the Santalune city trainer school! I'm positive it'll help you grow more as a trainer!"

Serena's eyes widened in acknowledgement as she slowly began skimming the contents of the piece of parchment. "Yeah, I remember professor Sycamore said it was even sponsored by the Pokemon league! With all the travelling lately, it sort of slipped my mind."

The younger of the two females then smiled as she made sure to put away the pamphlet for now. "Thanks again Nurse Joy! This is exactly what I needed! I'll be sure to pay a visit with my Pokemon later!"

Said nurse was more than glad to accept her thanks. Helping rookie trainers is Just as an important aspect of her job. For her, it's in the same level of healing the sick and injured. "You're welcome! And don't be a stranger either! In case you're still having doubts then feel free to talk to me or any of my relatives. We all work in different branches of centers and you're bound to run into any one of us! Just like me, we'd be glad to help you…uuhh miss…?"

The honey colored blonde then gasped slightly and it wasn't long before she felt her face grow red once more. "Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't even introduce myself! My name's Serena Yvonne! I hope you're not too mad?"

The much older female just opted to wave her one hand in a reassuring motion. The gesture even came with a familiar smile that reminded Serena of her own mother. "Ahehe. Don't worry about it! How about we just call it even since I did technically eavesdropped on you. What'ya say Serena?"

Said trainer giggled a bit and was internally glad that there was no hard feelings between them. "It's a deal!"

A small beep then made itself known and forced nurse Joy to momentarily shift her attention to the terminal on her right. The older female then gave an apologetic smile to the trainer before her. "Oh looks like I have to get back to work for now. I'll chat with you later Serena, it's been really fun!"

"Likewise. It was really nice! I'll see you later nurse joy!"

As said nurse slowly disappeared from her view, Serena began to reminisce about her journey again but this time, in a more positive light.

She found a friend in Fennekin and nurse Joy and somewhere down the line, she's positive that she'll gain Pidgey's trust and friendship one day as well.

And last but not least, she received her mother's blessing and was free to find her own dream.

Serena then absentmindedly touched her good luck charm with a soft smile gracing her features. The charm itself is nothing but a simple bracelet with a strange jewel embedded on the band's center. 'My journey may not have a great start but it doesn't mean I should just quit and run back home! After all, you'd never give up either, right Ash?'

-(scene change)-

"Let's end this guys! Bulbasaur use Razor leaf! Totodile use Water gun!"

Two figures then fell flat on their faces in utter defeat. One was a huge yellow bee with drills for hands and the other was a small red lion cub. A Beedrill and a Litleo respectively.

Their trainer, a young man wearing blue shorts and a cap of the same color then let out a small groan before recalling his fallen Pokemon. "Aw man! There goes my hot winning streak for the day! We weren't even close to winning!"

As for Ash, the more experienced trainer sent the much younger man before him an easygoing grin before recalling his own teammates back into their respective Pokeballs. "Ahehe. Don't be too hard on yourself Joey, it was still an awesome match! You really gave Bulbasaur and Totodile a run for their money!"

The now revealed Joey then blushed a bit from the praise as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head in response. "Ehehe. Thanks Ash! That means a lot coming from a big-shot trainer like you!"

It was now the raven haired youth's turn to look away in embarrassment as he lightly scratched one of his signature birthmarks. "Hey now, I'm not a celebrity or anything like that. I'm still your average trainer!"

The look of disbelief etched on the youngster's face was more than enough for Ash to know that Joey had a hard time in believing his previous statement.

The pride of pallet town then chuckled a bit as he absentmindedly gave the younger male before him an honest-to-good smile. "It's the truth, I swear! It's not like I'm a member of the elite four or even a regional champion yet. I know, I still have a long way to go if I want to be on the same level like Cynthia for example."

Despite Ash's opinion, the much younger trainer wasn't even the slightest bit deterred in his enthusiasm. "No way! After seeing your match with Tobias, I know you've got what it takes to definitely reach the top!"

The raven haired youth couldn't help but widen his smile as he subconsciously accepted the praise. It was a nice feeling being cheered on for once. Usually, his only fanbase were the residents of Pallet town and his close circle of friends. "Thanks Joey, I appreciate the support!"

Ash then decided to get back on track as he pulled out his worn-out map with a somewhat embarrassed grin etched on his features. "Anyway, I'd love to stay and chat but I really need to make some tracks! You mind pointing to me where I can get to Santalune city pronto?"

The youngster was more than glad to assist his idol as he pointed down another dirt path leading towards the right. "No problem! Just follow the road over there and it's a straight shot to Santalune city! You can't miss it!"

Understanding, the Pallet town trainer nodded before making his trek onwards as he bade farewell to the young trainer behind him. "Heh. Thanks again Joey! I'll be sure to see you again at the Kalos league!"

"You bet Ash! Good luck out there! Next time I'll be stronger for sure!"

"Ahaha! I'll look forward to it!"

-(scene change)-

Serena absentmindedly hummed as she gently brushed Fennekin's fur while staring at a small piece of paper that was right beside her. On it, was an illustration of the three Kalos starter's in their fully evolved forms and they were about to clash in an epic fight.

What really caught everyone's attention, including her, was the big eye-catching font right below the drawing…

' _ **Do you have what it takes to be the best of the best? Then register and join the Kalos league now!'**_

The honey colored blonde then bit her lip out of anxiety as she felt her starter Pokemon slowly fall asleep in her lap. 'Should I really try for a gym battle tomorrow? I barely even won against a wild Pokemon for crying out loud!'

-(FLASHBACK)-

"-We now move onto 'Pokemon and trainer 101'."

An older female brunette then cleared her throat while straightening out her standard teaching uniform. On her left breast pocket was a name tag that read 'Ms. Chloey'. "As I was saying, this part of the class will enlighten you on some aspects regarding Pokemon and human interaction. Particularly, trainers like all of you."

The giant electronic screen behind the teacher then lit up as she continued her lecture. "I'm sure you all know by now, Pokemon are unique individuals just like us humans. There are even on rare occasions where some Pokemon even refuse to listen to their trainers due to incompatibility issues."

To further prove her point, the monitor showed footages of Pokemon like Charizard, Steelix, and Armaldo, refusing to obey their trainers by openly rebelling them. One was even hostile with his approach judging from the Flamethrower attack…

"There are two well known reasons as to why this happens. The first one is usually a difference in goals. A Pokemon who prefers to perform on stage will have issues in listening to a trainer who only likes battling."

The proctor then showed the next slides to be various gym badges, ribbons, and other assorted trophies. "The next one is experience. Pokemon usually feel more comfortable listening to a trainer who's at least good at what he or she does. Gym badges and ribbons are a good way to earn your Pokemon's respect and this usually paves the path for a better relationship between the two."

-(FLASHBACK: END)-

Serena then shook her head while she gently lowered Fennekin to a nearby couch. The honey colored blonde then tried to motivate herself as she gave one more determined look at the poster before her. 'I have to try! Pidgey is my first Pokemon and I really wanna make things right between us! I know we can be a good team in the future!'

"Ready or not! Santalune gym here I come!"

CHAPTER V: END

To be continued in: An unexpected reunion! II

Whew, that's another wrap! Sorry for the long wait guys but if you must know, I took a little break after celebrating my birthday last July twelve. (yeaaaahhhhh)

Also hot damn, look at these reviews. I'm touched. (seriously) Keep it coming guys and help this fic live on. I'll do my part as a writer and you'll do your part as the readers. Remember, don't be too lazy in showing your support. What's a few words compared to an entire chapter.

(Yes I know it's guilt tripping but it's the truth. The cold hard and unforgiving truth but the truth nonetheless)

Anyway some usual notes before we end:

a.)Sorry guys, had to split the chapter up. Ash and Serena are gonna reunite at chapter six. I felt it was a good time to cut off with a cliffhanger I guess.

b.)If you were sharp enough, then yes, Serena also has a keystone and a mega evolution stone with her. What kind of mega evolution stone you ask? Nope. Secreeet. But hey, feel free to guess.

c.)We still see some glimpses of the old Ash. Particularly, how often he gets lost. I'm trying to show he's on the road to maturity here. A slow one but at least, it's progress.

d.)Pidgey, the first AU catch. I played with the idea that Serena doesn't get along with flying types. A little shout-out to two Pokemon heroines. The first is Misty from the anime with her bug phobia and Blue/Green from the Pokemon adventures/special manga with her bird phobia.

e.)Serena is NOT going to be a battler. I'm just trying to show how much of a newbie she really is to the Pokemon world. In canon, Serena had a hard time in choosing a career path and it took her a very long time to finally make up her mind.

I'm putting a somewhat realistic approach as I decided to let Serena try the different career paths a trainer can usually branch out from before making a decision.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for those who reviewed last chapter…Okay! Now that's over with, I've got some bad news at the bottom author's note when you're done reading this latest installment. So please, make sure to read it guys.

CHAPTER VI: An unexpected reunion II

 _Last time: "Ready or not! Santalune gym here I come!"_

 _And now:_

It was now at the crack of dawn at the Santalune Pokemon center. Not one person awake…

"Okay guys, today is a big day! Up and at 'em! We have a gym battle to get ready for later so I want to get in some practice before we start!"

Except for a certain honey colored blonde and her motley crew of partners that were currently assembled at the backyard.

Needless to say, one Serena Yvonne was taking this seriously. Very seriously. She even replaced her signature pink sun hat for a green military beret, just for the occasion.

Said female trainer then cleared her throat before she proceeded to draw on the dirt with a nearby stick she happened to pick up. "Okay, first order of business! From the trainer school, I learned that this gym specializes in bug types so we should have the advantage for this afternoon's battle!"

To further prove her point, Serena drew different caricatures of bug Pokemon on the ground and began listing their common weaknesses. Fire, flying, and rock type attacks.

In response to this news, Fennekin raised her head high like an obedient soldier as she listened to her trainer's lecture. It would seem, she's just as eager to prove her worth once more.

As for Pidgey, the tiny bird Pokemon looked a little bit excited in competing in another battle but was otherwise apathetic in the presence of his trainer.

A bead of sweat then ran down the back of Serena's head as she stared at the small flying type. The honey colored blonde then clasped both her hands as she sent her Pokemon an appeasing grin. "C'mon Pidgey, I really need you to work with me here. Me and Fennekin can't do this without you."

Said bird just responded with a very flat stare towards his trainer. Not an ounce of sympathy on his feathered face.

At first, Serena hung her head in defeat as she cried crocodile tears in her mind but immediately brightened up once she pulled out a small brown sack from her bag. "How about if I give you some of my special Poffins?"

Pidgey's beak began to drool slightly from the inviting aroma and was more than glad to cooperate for now.

The honey colored blonde then giggled a bit and set a couple of treats on the ground as per the agreement. "Alright, after you're done, we'll get to work right away! That gym leader won't know what hit her!"

-(scene change)-

"Bulbasaur dodge with Dig! Totodile use Water gun!"

Once more, Ash was using the two starter Pokemon in battle but this time, in a mock fight against his very own Charizard. On the side, Pikachu was acting as a referee while munching on an Oran berry he happened to pick up.

As the raven haired youth watched his two Pokemon got to work, he couldn't help but smile proudly at their progress. It was small but it was good nonetheless.

Totodile's water gun was getting stronger to the point where it wasn't just a mere nuisance to Charizard anymore and the fact that Bulbasaur learned dig while he was at the ranch was another bonus in Ash's opinion.

Back to the battle, Charizard grunted a bit as he used one of his wings to shield himself from the powerful jet of water and tried to sense where his other opponent was.

Thanks to his keen battle senses, the fire type easily took to the air at the exact moment when Bulbasaur re-emerged from the earth below.

Ash then let out a silent curse as he saw the orange dragon retaliate with a Fire spin attack and managed to temporarily immobilize the seed Pokemon in place. "Totodile, quick! Use water sport and put out the flames! Bulbasaur charge up a solar beam attack!"

Acting quickly, the blue reptile got to work and drenched the entire battlefield with water. As for Bulbasaur, the grass type locked eyes with his target and began drawing energy from the sun itself.

Charizard grinned in excitement as he saw his fellow comrade's strongest attack and decided to take it up a notch.

The orange dragon then unleashed a powerful flamethrower just as Bulbasaur unleashed his Solarbeam.

Both attacks then collided and it became another battle of wills as the seed Pokemon did his best to match against Charizard's might.

Bulbasaur then began to heave in exhaustion as he started to feel the toll on his body from maintaining his strongest attack.

Just when he was about to give in, Totodile suddenly joined in with his Water gun attack and combined forces with the grass type move.

The tides suddenly shifted and both forces were suddenly equal and what followed was a spectacular explosion from the three different types of attacks colliding into one.

When the dust cleared, a resounding bell was heard as Pikachu made his announcement with a swift gesture of his hand. Right beside the small rodent was a timer of sorts.

Satisfied with the results of their spar, Ash then gave a cheesy thumbs up to all of his Pokemon. "Good job guys! That was an awesome battle! Bulbasaur's dig is getting faster and Totodile's attacks are getting stronger too! I think it's only a matter of time before he learns Hydro pump!"

Both mentioned Pokemon grinned proudly towards their trainer before thanking each other for the earlier assist in their respective tongues.

The raven haired youth also sent a proud smile to his ace Pokemon. "You were great too Charizard! Thanks a lot for sparring with Bulbasaur and Totodile! I'm sure all that experience will come in handy for our next gym battle!"

Ash's smile then shifted into a more concerned look as he made sure to check the fire type for any injuries. After all, the orange dragon was actually holding back a lot for the sake of his comrades while Bulbasaur and Totodile were going full force in order to slowly catch up in terms of power. "Still, you alright buddy? Was I pushing too hard? It was a two-on-one battle y'know?"

In response, Charizard let out a snort as he proudly flexed his arms in order to show he was in top shape.

Unfortunately, Bulbasaur took offense to his long time friend's cockiness and was more than glad to call him out.

Due to his proud and warrior-like mentality, the larger fire type easily took the bait and began firing off insults one after the other. He only got more ticked off when the smaller grass type turned his head away and looked like he was just plain ignoring the fire type's wrath.

Charizard's ears then picked up the sound of soft giggling and saw it was Totodile who was doing his best to hold it in from the free show he was seeing.

It wasn't long before things erupted into chaos.

Charizard then began chasing a hysterically laughing Totodile while Bulbasaur who suddenly decided to become peacemaker again, was doing his best in restraining the larger 'mon with his vine whips. A good effort but was pretty useless from the looks of it.

On the sides, both Ash and Pikachu had large beads of sweat going down the back of their heads as they watched the spectacle before them.

"Sooo…uhh, we should probably break this up. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pi-Pika"

The raven haired youth then blinked and sent his starter Pokemon a cross look in response. "Hey, wait a minute! Why do I get to calm down Charizard and you just need to talk to Totodile? Can't we switch?"

Said yellow rodent just smirked before he began making his point to his trainer with various gestures.

Ash then grumbled a bit after the explanation as he began to get to work. 'I really hate it that he's so persuasive sometimes…It's those red cheeks of his isn't it?'

-(scene change)-

"Hello! I'm Serena Yvonne from Vaniville town! I came here to challenge the gym leader!"

From across the battlefield, a young woman with sandy blonde hair emerged from behind the many bushes that littered the greenhouse-slash-gym. What stood out the most was the two cameras hanging off of her neck.

The much older blonde then beamed towards Serena as she gave her a friendly wave in response. "Oh hello there! I'm Viola the Santalune gym leader at your service! I'd be glad to accept your challenge!"

"That's great! Thanks a lo-"

Serena was then interrupted by a flash of light that caught her off guard. After she recovered, the honey colored blonde realized that Viola took a quick photo of her without realizing it. "W-What was that about…?"

Said gym leader giggled a bit before she proudly showed off her professional looking camera which showed Serena's excited face. "Ahehe. Sorry about that. I'm also a professional photographer by the way! I just loved the energy you were showing and just took a photo by instinct! I hope you're not too mad?"

Smiling a bit, Serena was quick to wave off the incident in stride. "It's no problem at all! I'm actually honored that a professional took my photo. If it's not too much trouble, can I get a copy of it later? It'd be a nice memento for my first gym battle."

The older female beamed happily in response and gave the younger trainer before her a thumbs up. "You've got yourself a deal Serena! It would be my pleasure!"

Viola then clasped her hands in excitement before she started making her way over to position. "Anyway, I'm sorry again for going off track! Let's get down to your gym battle!"

Seeing the younger blonde eagerly nod back in response, the more experienced trainer then let out a small hum as she began typing into a machine of some sorts that was right behind her. "Okay you said that this is your first gym battle right? Then that means you have no badges at this point…"

The machine then let out a few beeps before it deposited two Pokeballs to the gym leader. Picking up the two spheres and clipping the other one to her belt, Viola was quick to toss the other one to the battlefield. "Then that means, I'll be fighting with these two Pokemon! Let's go Surskit !"

Serena then pulled out her Pokedex once she saw her opponent fully materialized on the dirt field before her.

' _Surskit, the pond skater Pokemon (BUG/WATER). Surskit can walk on water as if it was skating. It attracts prey with the sweet aroma it produces. It's signature moves are sweet scent and bubblebeam.'_

Nodding at the information, the honey colored blonde was quick to make her own decision and send out her own battler in response. "I'm counting on you Pidgey! Let's do this!"

Once the tiny bird Pokemon emerged from his Pokeball, the small flying type wasted no time in getting airborne and letting out a proud cry, signature to his species.

A giant monitor then lit up from the sides of the field and showed a picture of Viola and Serena respectively. Below them were two Pokeball icons that represented their current party.

" _This is a gym battle between the Santalune gym leader-Viola and the challenger-Serena. This will be a two-on-two single battle. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute his or her Pokemon. Trainers…Begin!"_

And with that, the battle has begun.

Smiling confidently, Serena was more than glad to make the first move. "Okay Pidgey! Let's start things off with a Gust atta-"

Before the honey colored blonde had a chance to finish, the small flying type was already on the move with a classic tackle attack.

Both Viola and Surskit were a little shocked at seeing the haphazard charge before they quickly made a recovery and was on the move as well. "We've got just the thing for pesky flying types! Use Ice beam, Surskit!"

Gasping in shock, Serena knew it was bad if that attack connected. "No! Try and dodge it with Quick attack!"

The young blonde then let out a breath of relief once she saw her Pokemon followed her command to the exact tee this time.

Back to the battle, the dual bug type didn't see the quick maneuver in time and the flying type's attack was a direct hit. Judging from the way Surskit flinched in pain, it was a critical hit.

Pidgey then gave the bird equivalent of a smirk before charging again once more. This time, his wings were glowing with power and Viola knew it was a standard Wing attack.

Narrowing her eyes in determination, the sandy colored blonde was quick to retaliate. "Here's our chance Surskit! Use Signal beam!"

The blue insectoid then unleashed a multi-colored beam from the tip of his yellow antenna at point-blank range towards the tiny bird Pokemon. Once the attack connected, Pidgey then let out a squawk of pain and felt himself seeing stars after the initial blow.

Serena then panicked once she saw her Pokemon's current status. If she remembers her lesson right from the academy then the small flying type was currently confused. "No! Are you alright?! Speak to me Pidgey!"

Said tiny bird could only further cry out in pain as he tried to make the pain in his head stop but it was no use. With every flap of his wings, the strain on his body would only get worse.

Viola then smirked at the golden opportunity presented before her and made sure to put it to good use. "A perfect shot! Hit 'em again with ice beam!"

Serena tried to call out to the small flying type in warning but it was too late. The attack was a direct hit and the honey colored blonde gasped in horror at the sight of her Pokemon's frozen left wing.

The shock of taking a super-effective attack head on was more than enough to snap Pidgey back to his senses and the tiny bird Pokemon could only brace himself for the inevitable impact once he realized he can't fly himself out of his current situation.

It was as if time slowed down and mere seconds became hours.

Then much to his confusion, the small flying type felt he landed on something soft and warm instead of cold hard ground.

Slowly opening his eyes, Pidgey was shocked to find himself in the embrace of his trainer. It was as if the thought of someone catching him never entered his mind in the first place. Back in the wild, he was always alone. No friends, no family.

As far as he knows, having someone to rely on was a strange foreign concept to him.

Then to further add to his confusion, Serena gave him a tearful smile as the honey colored blonde let out a breath of relief. "Thank God, you're alright! I was so worried about you Pidgey!"

Across the battlefield, Viola smiled softly at both Pokemon and trainer's interaction with each other. It was clear from the start that the duo before her had troubles with their team dynamic but it didn't stop the much younger blonde from reaching out and caring for the flying type's wellbeing.

Back with Serena, she then carefully placed Pidgey on a nearby bench right behind her as she gently stroke the top of his head in a comforting gesture. "Rest up for now Pidgey. You did your best and I'm proud of you. Just leave it to me and Fennekin for now! We'll take care of that Surskit for you!"

As the honey colored blonde slowly turned her focus back to battlefield, she failed to notice Pidgey's wide-eyed stare as she plucked out another Pokeball from her bag. "Let's go Fennekin!"

Pidgey then let out a snort and smirked briefly as he finally made a decision in his mind.

He would trust. And most importantly, he would believe in his new trainer.

She wasn't perfect but the sheer care, trust and belief in those blue eyes of hers was more than enough.

" _Trainer Serena has substituted Pidgey for Fennekin. Battle will commence once more in three, two,one…Go!"_

Viola couldn't help but beam proudly at the much younger blonde before her. After taking her picture, she knew there was something special about the rookie trainer. Seeing the previous display was more than enough to confirm it.

Clenching her fist in excitement, the sandy colored blonde was eager to continue the battle and see just what kind of trainer Serena really is. "This time, we'll take the lead! Let's go Surskit! Use bubblebeam!"

Once more from his yellow antenna, the blue insectoid unleashed a barrage of bubbles that glowed with unrestrained power towards his target.

Not backing down, Serena and Fennekin was quick to form a counterattack in response. "Fight back with Psybeam, Fennekin!"

Said orange fox's eyes then glowed with power before she unleashed small rings of psychic energy from her mouth.

Both attacks collided and resulted in a mini-explosion that covered the entire field.

Meanwhile, Viola and her Surskit were keeping a sharp eye for any more projectile attacks coming from the smoke.

"Now Fennekin! Like we practiced!"

Suddenly, Fennekin emerged right out of the dust with a valiant howl that temporarily boosted her attack .

Before the dual bug type even had the chance to process what exactly is going on, Surskit was smacked in the face with the fire type's Tail whip and felt his defense falter even further.

The finishing touch was an empowered scratch attack that was sure to hit at this close enough range.

"Sorry Serena but I'm not making it that easy for you! Surskit use Protect!"

Said rookie trainer could only gasp as their three-move combo was blocked so easily in response. The honey colored blonde then winced once the bug type was quick to retaliate with another bubblebeam attack.

A split-second later and the move was a direct hit and Fennekin could only struggle in getting back up.

Seeing that she has the advantage again, Viola was quick to make her next move. "Now let's give the battlefield a makeover Surskit! Use Ice beam on the ground!"

At first, Serena was a little confused with her opponent's tactics but immediately widened her eyes once she saw her starter Pokemon had even more difficulty in maintaining her balance. "Oh no! Fennekin try and use ember around you to melt the ice!"

"Too late! End it with another bubblebeam Surskit!"

Serena then felt her stomach tie itself into knots as she saw her starter Pokemon faint. Biting her lip, the blonde quietly recalled the small fire type with a sad look etched on her face. "I'm so sorry Fennekin. I hope you forgive me. It was my fault as a trainer…I should've seen it coming…"

The much younger trainer then momentarily turned her attention back to the board and felt whatever confidence she still had, was slowly dropping by the minute.

" _Trainer Serena Yvonne's Fennekin has lost. Please send out your remaining Pokemon if you wish to continue."_

'W-What should I do? I knew it was a long shot but I never thought it was this hopeless…'

-(scene change)-

"Ah, finally! The Santalune city gym! Man, I can't wait for our gym battle! What'ya say Pikachu? Ready to win our first badge in the Kalos region?"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

A certain raven haired young man then let out a low whistle once he entered the building's premises. It was a mix between a greenhouse and an art studio from the looks of it. "Wow check out these photos! These are just as good as Todd's work! The gym leader must really love photography huh buddy?"

The small rodent could only nod happily back in response but his ears immediately twitched from the faint sounds of battling further inside the gym.

Both Pokemon and trainer then shared the same excited look as they figured out what was all the ruckus about.

Ash then pumped his fist in excitement as he started to run towards the noise. "Sweet! Looks like we made it to someone's gym battle! C'mon Pikachu, let's check it out!"

"Pikachu!"

The pallet town trainer then gasped in awe once he made it to the sidelines that overlooked the battlefield. The plants nearby were even more magnificent than the ones in the entrance.

The raven haired youth then noted the field itself. For some odd reason, it was completely frozen. He also saw the two trainers battling were both females. One was using a Surskit and had sandy blonde hair and the other trainer had really familiar honey colored hair for some reason.

Ash's brown eyes widened as he vaguely connected the dots on why the younger blonde looked so familiar. 'It can't be…is that…?'

" _Trainer Serena Yvonne's Fennekin has lost. Please send out your remaining Pokemon if you wish to continue."_

The pride of Pallet town then felt his jaw drop at the final piece of evidence that was presented before him. 'No way! It is her! It's Serena! I don't believe it!'

Before Ash could even call over to the blonde, he immediately noticed his old childhood friend's expression. It was now clear that she was having doubts with herself.

The raven haired youth then tightly gripped the railings before him and quickly took a deep breath before he made his presence known to everybody on the battlefield. "YOU CAN DO IT SERENA! DON'T GIVE UP TILL THE END!"

Said blonde felt her blue eyes widen as she quickly turned her focus to the source of the familiar voice and came face-to-face with a cap wearing young man with black hair that stuck out from the sides. His most notifying features are the 'z'-shaped birthmarks on his cheeks. 'A-Ash?!'

Said young man then proceeded to give her his signature grin that was accompanied with a classic thumbs up as well. "Go get 'em Serena! I'm rooting for you!"

For a moment, the honey colored blonde thought back to the day they first met before the image was overlapped with the present Ash. Serena then smiled softly as she felt her confidence slowly rise back up. 'Past or present, I know that grin anywhere! It really is him!'

Serena was then broken out of her thoughts by a familiar cry that landed on her right shoulder. Turning her head, she saw Pidgey giving her an encouraging nod. "P-Pidgey? You're with me too?"

Pidgey just decided to smirk back in response before he flew over to the battlefield once more.

The honey colored blonde was practically beaming at all of the support and felt her resolve to win strengthen even further. "Okay! Let's do this!"

" _Trainer Serena has sent out Pidgey! The battle shall resume in three, two, one…GO!"_

With a wave of her one hand, Serena was quick to take the lead this time. "Crack the ground below with Wing attack, Pidgey!"

As for Viola, the sandy colored blonde was a little confused at first between the two teen's interaction but decided to just put it away for now. She had more important things to focus on. "I don't know what that was all about but we're not just gonna keep on sitting around for nothing! Surskit use Signal beam!"

Fortunately for Serena, Pidgey was faster and landed his wing attack on the ground first. The flying chunks of debris was then used to block the bug type's attack.

The much younger trainer then grinned as she made sure to put her next plan into motion. "Now that we have some dirt to work with, use sand attack Pidgey!"

The tiny bird Pokemon then started to kick up the ground below and flapped his wings as hard as he could. The result was a pseudo-sandstorm that enveloped the entire field and blocked Surskit's field of vision.

"Now hit 'em with a Gust attack!"

The surrounding sand was then completely blown away by the small flying type's miniature tornado. Narrowing her eyes, Viola was quick to respond to the obvious threat. "You've got this Surskit! Use protect!"

At first, the older blonde smirked once she saw the opposing attack completely neutralized but was quick to change expressions when she noticed her opponent mimicking her demeanor as well.

Waving her hand once more, Serena was quick to unveil her next move. "We've got you now! Close the gap with quick attack Pidgey!"

Doing the bird equivalent of a smirk, Pidgey let out another proud cry before taking off at break-neck speeds towards his target.

"Now combine it with a Wing attack!"

Once he was close enough, the moment Surskit's green barrier dropped, said flying type nailed a direct hit towards the blue insectoid. Thanks to the speed boost from before, the wing attack's power was further amped up and the small bug type was out like a light.

" _Surskit is knocked out! The winner is Pidgey! Gym leader Viola, please send out your remaining Pokemon for battle."_

Serena then blinked in disbelief before she erupted into joyous cheer for finally securing a victory against the much older blonde. "W-We did it! Way to go Pidgey!"

Said flying type also couldn't help but mimic his trainer's mood as well and began flying happily in circles while in the air.

As for Ash, the young man was equally glad too and clapped his hands in order to show his support from the sidelines. 'I knew you could do it! Now all that's left is…' "Win! You've got this Serena! You too Pidgey!"

Back with said honey colored blonde, she returned the gesture of support with her very own thumbs up to the raven haired youth. "Right! Let's go for broke! What'ya say Pidgey? Are you with me?"

Nodding determinedly, Pidgey also strengthened his resolve and vowed to win this. Not just for himself but for his new trainer and their fallen comrade as well.

Meanwhile with Viola, the sandy colored blonde was also happy for the younger trainer as well. She didn't think it was possible but the difference between the Serena back then and the Serena from now was simply astounding. 'It just goes to show you how amazing human potential really is. Before, her confidence was like a bright flame…but now, it's as bright as the sun.'

The bug type gym leader then unclipped her last Pokeball and proceeded to hurl it into the air as well. "I'm impressed Serena, not many rookie trainers can easily get past my Surskit. Now let's see you handle my Vivillon!"

Seeing the unfamiliar bug type, both Ash and Serena subconsciously pulled out their respective Pokedex's.

" _Vivillon, the scale Pokemon (BUG/FLYING). The fully evolved form of Scatterbug. Vivillon with many different patterns are found all over the world. These patterns are affected by the climate of their habitat. It's signature moves are Gust and Solarbeam."_

Nodding at the info, Serena steeled herself for the coming battle. After all, this will be her first fight against a fully evolved Pokemon. The power level difference between the two will really put her and Pidgey to the test.

With a wave of her hand, the honey colored blonde decided to lead the charge once more. "Okay! Try a gust attack, Pidgey!"

Not backing down, Viola was quick to make her move as well. "Fight back with your own Gust attack, Vivillon!"

Both flying Pokemon then flapped their respective wings as hard as they can and summoned violent winds in order to take the other out.

Moments later, Pidgey couldn't keep up with the bug type's strength and was promptly swept away by the turbulent winds. The sheer power behind the attack was even strong enough to destroy some parts of the ice battlefield.

Seeing that she was outmatched in terms of power, Serena decided to change her tactics for now. "Fall back and try to use your Sand attack, Pidgey!"

Said flying type then recovered in mid-air before he landed on the ground below him and immediately started to kick up another sandstorm.

From the dust cloud, Pidgey then emerged at top speeds with his wings glowing with power once more just like his trainer commanded.

Having already experienced the same tactic before, Viola was more than prepared to make her counterattack this time. "Not so fast Serena! Stop them in their tracks with Psychic, Vivillon!"

The butterfly Pokemon's segmented eyes then glowed with absolute power and just before the smaller flying type could land a direct hit, Pidgey was easily stopped cold with psychic energy alone.

Before the tiny bird Pokemon could even comprehend his current situation, he was immediately hurled towards the ground at incredible speeds. The impact was even strong enough to create a small crater in the ground.

Serena then couldn't help but gasp in horror once she heard her Pokemon's cry of pain. "Oh no! Pidgey, are you alright?"

The honey colored blonde didn't even had the chance to make up her next move when Viola simply picked up the pace and beat her to it. "Now let's give that Pidgey a good night's sleep! Use sleep powder!"

Vivillon then proceeded to unleash what looks like green powder from his scale like wings. Once the attack made contact, Pidgey was soon lulled to sleep.

The last thing that the tiny bird Pokemon saw was his trainer's worried face before he unwillingly blacked out...

-(scene change)-

Viola then smirked once she saw her opponent was down for the count. "Another perfect shot! End this with Solarbeam, Vivillon!"

As for Ash and Serena, both trainers felt helpless at the current situation and could only cry out to the small flying type in vain.

"No! Pidgey, please wake up!"

"Yeah, c'mon! I know you can do it! You gotta wake up!"

Once more, time seemed to slow down and to everybody's shock, Pidgey began to stir from his sleep. Serena then felt her eyes widen even further once she saw her Pokemon's small form began to glow as well. 'No way! Is he…?'

From the sidelines, Ash began to grin as he recognized the phenomena happening before him. "Alright! He's evolving!"

The spectacular light show soon ended and everybody was soon greeted with Pidgey's new evolved form. The mane of feathers on his head was now a vibrant shade of pink and his body more aero-dynamic than before.

Tearfully smiling in relief, Serena then pulled out her Pokedex once more.

" _Pidgeotto, the evolved form of Pidgey (NORMAL/FLYING). It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the more gentle Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous. Approach with extreme caution."_

Gritting her teeth at the timing of all things, Viola was obviously not prepared for her opponent to wake up so soon. 'That Pidgey must have an _**Early bird**_ ability! It's gotta be why he woke up so quick from Vivillon's sleep powder!'

Waving her hand, the much older blonde did her best to urge on her Pokemon to speed things up a bit. "Quick Vivillon! Before he takes off! Fire the Solarbeam now!"

With his species' signature cry, the butterfly Pokemon then unleashed a giant yellow beam from his open mouth.

In response, Pidgeotto simply flared his wings before disappearing from view with his signature quick attack.

The grass type move then missed by a mile and before Vivillon could even think about surveying the battlefield, the bird Pokemon simply reappeared behind his exposed back and swiftly delivered a Wing attack.

Serena then let out a small cheer and was more than glad pick up her Pokemon's pace. "Let's keep the rhythm going! Fire another Gust attack, Pidgeotto!"

Narrowing her eyes, Viola decided to fight fire-with-fire once more. The sandy colored blonde's Pokemon also shared the same belief and proceeded to recover in midair before reassuming his assault. "Then we'll do the same too! Use your own Gust attack, Vivillon!"

The much older trainer then let out a breath of relief once she saw her faithful bug type executed the attack first.

Glaring at the opposition, the flying type dared to do the impossible.

He would win. He would win and make his new trainer proud, no matter what.

Then to everybody's shock, Pidgeotto simply flapped his wings once and let loose a strong gale of wind that simply cut down anything in its path. That goes even double for Vivillon's gust attack.

Basically, a wind move that's so strong that it could actually slice and tear things apart.

Back on the sidelines, Ash couldn't help but smirk as he closely looked at the attack in finer detail. "Huh, well I'll be! That's no ordinary Gust attack! Pidgeotto actually learned Air slash! Talk about awesome!"

And just like what the raven haired youth said, it was in fact the very same move he was talking about.

The very same move that easily made contact and knocked out the gym leader's last Pokemon like it was nothing.

" _Vivillon is unable to battle! Gym leader-Viola has run out eligible Pokemon for battle! The winner of this match is Serena Yvonne from Vaniville town!"_

CHAPTER VI: END

To be continued in: Reconnect

Aaand cut! Another chapter done! Hope you enjoyed it guys!...okay! now for the bad news…

Don't worry, I'm not discontinuing this. God no.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'll be writing another story or maybe work on my other fics that also need tuning up. I don't know. I still haven't decided to be honest.

Back on topic, the reason is because of the lack of reviews on chapter 5. That was a real motivation killer if you ask me.

Basically, less reviews. Less motivation for writing. If this keeps up, I'm pretty sure the future of this fic is a bleak one.

Lastly, before I clock out. Here are some standard notes:

a.)Yes I'll be using the same plot device from Pokemon origins regarding a gym leader's strength. It explains so effin much on why the heck are Brock, Faulkner, and etc. from the games are leader's in the first place.

Think about it, Their strongest Pokemon is a level fourteen onix and a level nine Pidgeotto respectively. Why are they the head honchos of their towns with Pokemon like these?

b.)Yeah Serena won her first gym battle. I felt her winning this particular battle was really important and would leave a more significant impact than the alternate if I make her lose.

Now before anybody else flips their shit, She will not be invincible if that's what you're thinking. It's possible for either Ash or Serena to lose sometime in the future as they are still learning.

They are not Gods. So it stands to reason, they're not perfect either.

c.)Ash's bulbasaur cannot learn dig legitimately in the games. However it is in fact cannon that Bulbasaur learned this move during his stay in professor Oak's ranch.

From what I remember, it was a series of special episodes that didn't starred Ash for once. The most notable one is Jimmy, Marina, and the kid with the Meganium versus the more serious and badass members of team rocket.

d.)Yes Pidgey evolved at the last moment to win. Do not bitch. It's a pretty acceptable way to win if you compare them to some of Ash's earlier exploits.

-accidently turning on the sprinkler systems in a rock gym.

-made Sabrina laugh till her guts explode.

And bam! Easy badge.

So do not bitch.


	7. Chapter 7

Wow I'm touched. Really. You guys rule :D

Anyway I finished touching up one of my old stories on this site. Pretty quick all things considered, so I decided to get back onto work on this one. I guess I just needed a small break. :)

Now back to our regular scheduled program.

CHAPTER VII: Reconnect

 _Last time: "Vivillon is unable to battle! Gym leader-Viola has run out of eligible Pokemon for battle! The winner of this match is Serena Yvonne from Vaniville town!"_

 _And now:_

A certain honey colored blonde then blinked in disbelief at her recent hard-earned victory. "W-We won…?"

Serena was then brought back to her senses by a somewhat familiar cry that pierced the air around her.

Grinning, the young blonde then met the black eyes of her newly evolved Pokemon and it wasn't long before she ran up to him and embraced the brown avian into a warm hug. "We won! We did it, Pidgeotto! We did it!"

Said Pokemon was more than glad to return the gesture with a small smirk on his feathered face.

"Yeah, that was an amazing battle! Both of you were awesome!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

Now that the adrenaline was safely out of her system, Serena felt herself flush once she saw her old childhood friend slowly made his way over to her side of the battlefield. "A-Ash!"

The blonde then relinquished her hug and slowly stood up to make eye contact with the raven haired youth. She also noted how tall he's gotten over the years since she last saw him.

Serena then began to absentmindedly twirl a lock of her hair as she suddenly felt a little self conscious of herself. "Sooo…uuuh. How long have you've been here at Santalune city?"

As if sensing the awkward atmosphere in the air too, Ash couldn't help but sheepishly scratch the back of his head in response. If one were to look closely, a small speck of red began to dust his cheeks as well. "O-Oh. Just recently, actually! I was still a few ways off yesterday and had no choice but to camp for the night. Ahehe…"

"…"

"…"

Meanwhile, both Pikachu and Pidgeotto were looking at the two red-faced teenagers with half-lidded stares. It was like watching two innocent kids from their point of view.

The Pallet town trainer then smiled softly as he noticed the small white band on the honey colored blonde's wrist. "I see you've kept your good luck charm."

Returning the gesture, Serena slightly fiddled with the small bracelet as she began reminiscing her childhood days. "Yeah. Of course I would. After all, you…" The blonde then felt her face grew hotter for a few moments. "You gave it to me. Soo…thanks, it meant a lot to me. I didn't get a chance to say it after the whole move thing…"

Blushing a bit as well, Ash then slowly pulled out his own lucky charm for the blonde to see. "Wow. That means a lot. Thanks Serena! I…uh kept my lucky charm too! It…" Without realizing it, the raven haired youth gulped and felt like he swallowed something heavy. "It meant a lot to me too! So…uuh thanks! Thanks a lot! Ahehe."

Both teens then proceeded to smile at each other as they felt some of the awkward tension in the air, slowly disappear.

For a moment, it was like when they were kids again. A happier and more simpler time in their lives…

 **(FLASH!)**

Said trainers then blinked at the unexpected flash and immediately turned their respective heads to find the source.

Only to blanch once they found out it was a grinning Viola and right in her hands was her standard camera.

The sandy colored blonde then gave the two younger trainers a teasing cheshire smile as she proudly showed off her latest shot. It showed the two teens smiling at each other softly, and the picture even had this warm feeling if one were to look at it long enough. "Sorry you two but that was such a golden opportunity for a shot, I couldn't help it!"

Serena then let out a small scandalized shriek as she felt her face turn to dangerous levels of red. "V-Viola! How could you! You gotta delete that photo!"

Sticking out her tongue in a playful manner, Viola was quick to shake her head in response. "Nu-uh! This is too good of a photo to just delete like that!" The sandy colored blonde then gave the two teens before her, a small wink. "How about I give you guys copies instead? What'ya say?"

Blushing bright red from embarrassment once more, Ash and Serena first looked at each other before quickly turning their respective heads away at the mere thought.

Meanwhile, Pikachu was both amused and curious at his trainer's strange behavior. As far as he knows, the only times that the raven haired youth turned red was with Misty or that Giselle girl. This was certainly interesting in a way.

As for Viola, the sandy colored blonde then blinked once she took a more closer look at her photo. The gym leader then squinted her eyes and turned her attention to the raven haired youth, then back to her picture. And rinse and repeat. "Hey wait a minute. You look familiar for some reason, have I seen you on tv or something?"

Ash and Pikachu then shared a somewhat bemused look once the Pallet town trainer felt his cheeks return to their more normal color.

"Ahehe. That's a funny story actually…"

-(scene change)-

"Oh wow! I can't believe this year's Sinnoh league champion is right here in front of me! What an honor!"

Needless to say, Viola was absolutely ecstatic in having a pseudo-celebrity inside her gym.

The much older female then nudged the younger rookie trainer beside her in a teasing manner. "And who would have guessed that you were his old childhood friend! You are one lucky girl, Serena~"

Said honey colored blonde couldn't help but blush again and was internally glad that Viola only whispered the last part to her in secret.

Seeing the situation, Ash then let out a low chuckle and decided to help out his old friend by getting back to the matter at hand. "Anyway, I was wondering if I can have my gym battle now? Me and my Pokemon are really excited in battling our first Kalos gym leader!"

Letting out a small nervous laugh, Viola then proceeded to rub the back of her head in a sheepish manner. "Ahaha. I'd love to…really! But as you can see," The much older female then gestured to the remains of her once pristine battlefield. ", I need to make some emergency repairs for now. I'm afraid, I'll have to postpone our battle till tomorrow. Sorry, Ash."

Hearing the news, a metaphorical cloud of darkness hovered over the raven haired youth's head as he slightly hunched his shoulders lower.

Seeing this, Serena couldn't help but feel responsible as she let out a sheepish laugh for the Pallet town native's current plight. "Ehehe. That was my bad. Sorry too, Ash."

Feeling a little bad from all the attention he was getting, said trainer was quick to recover and send the two females before him an appeasing grin in response. "Ah, it's alright you two. No need to apologize to me or anything. I understand! Stuff just happens, right?"

Grinning a bit, Viola clasped her hands together and was glad that there was no hard feelings between all of them. "That's great! Now the only problem left is how high should the level be? I want to make sure that I'll give you and your squad a decent challenge for tomorrow's battle!"

Ash then let out a small hum as he lightly scratched below his chin in a pondering fashion. "Yeah that's a tough one."

After all, sparring and the occasional fights with normal trainers is one thing but against a gym leader? It's a whole new level compared to your standard run-of-the-mill battles.

Without a doubt, it's their duties to help the next generation grow. To test their very limits and break right through it. His decision itself is crucial for his team's future development.

'Hmmm. I need to find a balance. Something that could still test us but not too overwhelming for Bulbasaur and Totodile's current power level…'

Snapping his fingers, Ash then finally came to a decision after he was done mentally debating with himself. "Okay, I've decided! How about a level four gym battle? I'm plenty sure my current team will get a lot of experience from it."

Nodding her head in acceptance, Viola was quick to extend her hand to the raven haired youth in response. "It's a deal then! I'll be looking forward to our battle tomorrow!"

Pumping his one fist in excitement, Ash was more than glad to return the gesture and firmly shook the gym leader's hand. "Ahaha. Same here! Fair warning though, even if I'm using a reserve team, we'll be coming at you a hundred-and-ten percent! I'm not one to hold back!"

Rising to the challenge, the sandy colored blonde gave out her own fierce smirk in response. "Same to you then. I'll show you how strong my bug types are!"

As for Serena, the honey colored blonde felt herself sweat a bit from the two trainer's fiery exchange. It was like the atmosphere intensified a bit as she swore there were sparks firing between their eyes. 'Was this the difference between how gym leader's interact with rookies and how they treat the veterans?'

Serena then felt a small shiver go down her spine as she only hoped for the best in tomorrow's match. 'I know Ash has what it takes to win but it makes me wonder…Just how strong will Viola's Pokemon be?'

-(scene change)-

"Fennekin use ember! Pidgeotto use gust!"

Ash then smirked as he saw the incoming opposition. With a single flourish of his right hand, the raven haired youth was quick to make his move. "Totodile, counter Fennekin's ember with Water gun! Bulbasaur, dodge with dig!"

Like clockwork, both of the Pallet town trainer's Pokemon was quick to follow his orders to the exact tee.

The result? Fennekin's ember was completely neutralized and the blue reptile got a direct hit in. The small yellow fox didn't even had a chance to recover when she was immediately blind-sided by Bulbasaur's dig.

Gritting her teeth at the grass Pokemon's sheer speed, Serena gathered her wits and tried to perform a counterattack back. "Pidgeotto, try to buy Fennekin some time to recover! Use sand attack!"

Letting out it's species signature cry, said avian Pokemon was about to kick up another pseudo sandstorm when it was abruptly interrupted by Totodile's scary visage.

The momentary distraction was more than enough for Bulbasaur to grab ahold off Pidgeotto's legs with his vine whip, much to the flying type's shock.

The raven haired youth then grinned at his plans success and was quick to follow up the golden opportunity before him. "Nice job on that Scary face, Totodile! Now let 'em have it Bulbasaur!"

Said Seed Pokemon mimicked his trainer's expression and proceeded to lift the marginally larger flying type into the air before he slammed the brown avian Pokemon into the ground.

A bell then resounded throughout the Pokemon center's spare training field, both trainers then turned their attention over to the noise and saw Pikachu waving his one paw over to them. Right beside the yellow rodent, was the standard timer for practice battles.

Seeing the signal, Ash and Serena then visibly relaxed their postures as they congratulated their respective Pokemon for a job well done.

The honey colored blonde then decided to reward her team by pulling out a familiar small brown sack from inside of her bag. "Good job you two! Now who wants some of my special Poffins?"

Both Fennekin and Pidgeotto then let out ecstatic cheers before they eagerly devoured the tiny treats with great zeal.

The Poffin's tasty aroma then wafted through the air and it was enough for Bulbasaur and Totodile to stop eating their respective lunches. A modest plate of Sitrus berries.

Subconsciously, both their mouth's began to drool as they stared hungrily at the bowl full of tasty and delectable looking Poffins.

Both Bulbasaur and Totodile then stared back to their plate of berries. Then back to the Poffins. Then to the berries once more and vice versa.

In the end, the grass type just decided to let out a wistful sigh as he began to eat his own lunch in a much sedated pace. Totodile however, was another story entirely.

The small blue reptile then gained a sneaky and mischievous look in his eyes as he discreetly kicked one of his berries away from his plate. The Johto native then made up some sort excuse in his native tongue and quickly made chase.

Meanwhile, Pikachu looked on with a half-lidded stare as he easily saw through the water type's plan. The yellow rodent then let out a low sigh as he regrettably put down his bottle of ketchup.

-(scene change)-

Fennekin then let out another sigh of bliss after swallowing another one of her trainer's poffins. Then before she could even think about taking another treat from her bowl, the small fire type was startled by Totodile's grinning face.

Confused by the Johto native's presence, Fennekin wasted no time in making her suspicions known to the blue reptile.

In response, said water type was quick to wave off the younger 'mon's suspicion and immediately started making small talk to divert the smaller fox's attention away.

And suddenly, right in the middle of his monologue, Totodile immediately pointed to something right behind Fennekin with a grossly exaggerated, shocked look on his face.

Slightly puzzled, the Kalos native complied with a curious and innocent look on her features.

Sadly, this was the perfect opportunity for Totodile to strike. And strike he did.

The water type starter then proceeded to take the remaining Poffins until there was nothing left. Not even a poor crumb.

A split second later, Fennekin turned her attention back to her bowl and found absolutely nothing, much to her dismay. The small yellow fox even let out a low yip as she felt tears starting to appear at the corners of her orange eyes.

Letting out a small awkward laugh, Totodile began to make his hasty retreat while walking in reverse. Behind the small reptile's back were the missing treats.

The Johto Pokemon then felt like he swallowed lead once he felt someone tap his back.

Accepting the inevitable, the blue reptile slowly turned around and came face-to-face with the stern visages of Ash, Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Pidgeotto. On the side, Serena was busy comforting her teary starter.

The raven haired youth then proceeded to pinch the bridge of his nose at his Pokemon's actions. "Really Totodile? _Really?_ Y'know, you could have just asked me or even better, you could've asked Serena if you wanted some Poffins. You didn't have to steal from Fennekin."

Lowering his head in shame, Totodile returned said treats back to where they belong. The blue reptile then gave his most sincerest apologies to a still-teary eyed Fennekin.

Said fire type then let out a couple of sniffs before she hesitantly accepted the water type's gesture of peace.

Seeing this, Serena smiled a bit as she slowly bent down to meet the two Pokemon's gazes. The honey colored blonde then proceeded to pat the blue reptile's head to show there was no hard feelings between them. "Yeah it's just like Ash said. I'll be more than glad to give you some treats."

Serena then giggled a bit once the small blue reptile looked up to her with a hopeful look etched on his face."Just promise me you won't steal Fennekin's Poffin's anymore? Deal?"

Letting out a happy cry, Totodile was quick to nod back in response. The water type even did his signature dance routine to seal the deal.

The honey colored blonde then couldn't help but gush slightly from the Johto Pokemon's antics as she pulled out her small brown bag of treats once more. "Awww. That's precious! I didn't know you could dance! That's amazing Totodile!"

The small blue reptile then grinned as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head just like a certain raven haired youth, mused the rookie trainer.

As Serena then placed the promised Poffins onto Totodile's plate, a metaphorical light-bulb then lit up from above the water type's head.

Quickly grabbing a spare blue Poffin and an extra Sitrus berry from his plate, Totodile wasted no time in making his way over to Fennekin once more.

Seeing the familiar fanged grin, the small fire type was immediately set on edge. She event went as far to shield her bowl from view with the use of her bushy tail.

A small bead of sweat then rolled down the back of Totodile's head as he let out a small nervous laugh. The blue reptile then raised his one claw as a gesture of peace and with the other, he set the extra food he gathered onto the ground.

Bowing his head once more as a sign of apologies, the Johto native was about to make his exit when he heard a familiar yip that stopped him in his tracks.

Turning around, Totodile came face-to-face with a smiling Fennekin. The water type then noticed a pink Poffin on the ground that was near the fire type's paws.

Growing confused at the sight, the blue reptile wasted no time in tilting his head in an innocent manner as he stared at the pink treat.

Rolling her orange eyes, Fennekin then nudged the Poffin towards the Johto Pokemon with the use of her snout.

Catching on, Totodile then pointed to himself as he stared at the fire type in complete disbelief.

The small yellow fox then let out a small giggle as she happily nodded back in response.

-(scene change)-

"Ahehe. Well isn't that a familiar sight, eh Serena?"

Smiling softly, said honey colored blonde couldn't help but agree as she and Ash watched their respective Pokemon interact with each other from a nearby bench. "Yeah it sure does bring back memories…"

Serena then lightly elbowed the raven haired youth beside her in a teasing manner as she slowly recalled the events from her mind. "I remember you doing the same thing once when we were kids. You took half of my cookies during snack time and you apologized by helping your mom bake replacement cookies, the next day."

Blushing a bit out of embarrassment for one of his childhood follies, Ash couldn't help but lower his cap's visor in order to hide the color of his cheeks from view. "W-Well to be fair, it wasn't entirely my fault. The cookies served by professor Oak were a lot more smaller than what I'm normally used to…"

Serena's blue eyes then lit up as she giddily clasped both her hands together in excitement. "Oh yeah, I remember! Your mom really likes to bake her cookies big! Even as big as pancakes on some occasion! I almost forgot about those!"

Grinning a bit, the pride of Pallet town was quick to happily nod back in response. "Yeah, that's the one I'm talking about! Mom's mega cookies! A few of those bad boys were more than enough to tide me over till dinner time!"

A large bead of sweat then rolled down the back of Serena's head as the honey colored blonde remembered things a bit differently from her point of view. "A _few?_ Ash, I remember you eating twenty of those cookies…"

Said raven haired youth then tilted his in an innocent manner as he failed to see the point that his old friend was trying to make. "So…? I don't get what you're trying to say here, Serena."

Shaking her head in a bemused manner, the honey colored blonde couldn't help but giggle a bit from the Pallet town trainer's antics. "Nevermind. I'm just glad that the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Ash then let out a soft smile as he briefly gazed at the large oak tree that was acting as their shade before he shifted his focus to the blue sky up above. It reminded him of so much of their days playing together in Pallet town. "Yeah I know what you mean. Despite everything that happened after you moved away, I'm glad that I got this chance to see you again."

Serena then mimicked the raven haired youth's expression as she began to reminisce about the old days as well. "Me too, Ash. Seeing you again has been great," The honey colored blonde then felt herself gulp as she slowly realized something. ",S-So after your gym battle tomorrow, where do _you_ plan on going next?"

"Huh? What are you talking about Serena? Don't you mean, where do _we_ plan on going next?"

"W-What?! Really?! You want me to travel with you?"

The raven haired youth then proceeded to give the blonde female before him a signature grin that was also accompanied by a cheesy thumbs up as well. "Yeah! After all, I made a promise to you when were kids, right? I'm sure you remember, I'm not one to break my promises! Plus, it's been really awesome hanging out with you again!" The Pallet town trainer then lowered his thumbs up as he felt his mood lower a bit. "That is, if you really want to. I don't want to force you or anything Serena."

"What?! No, I'd love to travel with you Ash! Really!" Said honey colored blonde then blushed a bit from her somewhat hasty and loud answer before she slightly lowered her head out of embarrassment. "I-It's just that…won't I just slow you down?"

Ash's brown eyes then widened in disbelief before he reassuringly placed both of his hands on Serena's shoulders. The Pallet town trainer didn't even seem to notice how the blonde's face began heating up to dangerous levels of red as he schooled his features into a more serious look. "Seriously Serena, don't put yourself down like that. You're one of my friends, regardless of how long we haven't seen each other, a friend is a friend in my book!"

The raven haired youth then released his hold, much to his old friend's relief but only for the honey colored blonde to gulp once more as Ash gave her a familiar boyish grin from their childhood. "And you Serena, are one of my best friends! So what'ya say?"

"…"

"…"

The pride of Pallet town then felt himself sweat a bit once he noticed that Serena was seemingly frozen in shock with her face as ripe as a tomato.

"Uh Serena…?"

"…"

Slowly but surely, a big grin started to spread on the blonde's face as she felt steam erupting from the top of her head and from out of her ears.

"…"

"…"

Growing a bit worried at his old friend's apparent dilemma, Ash discreetly shot his starter Pokemon an inquisitive look.

The raven haired youth then internally grumbled when all Pikachu did was shrug his tiny shoulders in response before going back to his ketchup bottle.

Deciding to return to the matter at hand, Ash then coughed into his one fist before he started waving said hand in front of Serena's face. "Uh Serena? Are you alrigh-"

"I'mSorryAshButINeedToCoolDownForAFewSeconds! See ya!"

And just like that, said honey colored blonde made a mad dash towards the Pokemon center's doors. In her haste, the Pallet town trainer didn't manage to see the absolute look of joy etched on her face.

Once Serena was gone, Ash then slowly pulled of his red cap and scratched the top of his head in utter confusion as he tried to make sense of what just happened in the past few minutes. "Was it something I said?"

-(scene change)-

A certain red haired man that was wearing an expensive looking black suit was currently sitting alone in a dark room. The only visible source of lights were the dozens and dozens of monitors that were scattered about. His most distinguishing features are his blue eyes and how his hairstyle seemed to mimic a lion's mane of all things.

The mysterious man then narrowed his eyes as he stared at the footage of the Sinnoh league finals which showed Ash's mega-evolved Charizard in action.

The red haired man then clenched his one fist before he tapped the hidden comm-link on his right ear. "This is Lysandre. I need a status update about our preparations for our future expedition on the Glittering caves."

"…"

The now revealed Lysandre then smirked as he slowly stood up from his position. "Excellent. I'll be heading out now. I have an appointment with Professor Sycamore and Diantha at Lumiose city…"

CHAPTER VII: END

To be continued in: Santalune showdown!

Aaand that's another wrap! Hope you guys enjoyed it…Now for some bad news again. I'll be starting my fourth year in college and my OJT in the hospital soon so I'll be a little busy in the coming days. But hey, don't worry, I promise to keep up the updates to the best of my abilities.

Anyway some usual notes before I end the chapter:

a.)The whole Ash and Serena dynamic. I was trying to show how close they still are but due to the whole time apart thing, they still need to start from scratch as friends. You hear me, FRIENDS. Friends, not lovers. Whole different thing. There may be some slight attraction on Serena's part but nothing serious.

As for Ash? Well that's a huge work in progress on his part. It may be hard but not entirely impossible. Unlike the later seasons where he was clueless as fuck, I want you to remember the original first season and it showed that he has the capacity to be attracted to a female. Misty and Giselle being the most notable examples.

One more thing, I admit I may not be a master of this whole romance thing but I swear to try and keep it as realistic as possible.

At least it didn't come out like the following skit:

A: Wow Serena is so beautiful after all these years! I think…I think I just fell in love with her!

S: Oh my Arceus! Ash is so hot now! I can't believe it! We haven't seen each other since we were kids but I think…I think I love him!

A: Serena…do you wanna be my girlfriend?

S: Of course Ash! We are so meant to be together!

Yeaaaahhhh I apologize for that brief scene. If you want, I recommend taking some brain bleach first before proceeding with the rest of the notes.

b.)Yup Lysandre is in this fic. After all, what's a story without a villain to spice things up a bit.

In my opinion, he's a pretty interesting guy so I'll look forward to writing his character more in the future. He's kind of like an anti-hero if you squint a bit. He wants to save the world and everyone in it but somewhere down the path he's chosen, he had fallen and decided that the means would justify the end more.

Anyway, team flare deserves more credit than just being 'the fabulous ones'. They're goals at least make more sense than team magma or aqua. No offense to you maxie and archie fans.

But seriously, they're respective goals were to increase the land/sea mass. That's a pretty dumb goal. Less land means less home for people and air breathing Pokemon, not everyone is born with gills. And less water means everyone and everything will eventually die of thirst. Think of plants and other crops dying due to the lack of water, then sooner or later, both people and Pokemon will get affected and massive death is sure to follow.

Okay morbid rant aside, moving on.

c.)Re-Reading this, it was not my intention to portray Totodile x Fennekin. Apparently my beta reader/close friend in real life says otherwise. I was originally going for something nice and fluffy with an undertone of friendship but he thinks otherwise. Meh, to each his own opinion I suppose.

On another note, are they even in the same egg group? My net has been on the fritz lately and I'm just borrowing his laptop and flash drive at the moment to upload this.

d.)Yeah not a lot of action this chapter but there was a pretty obvious reason why I called it 'Reconnect' in the first place.

e.)Now that you all know team flare is going to make an appearance soon, I bet you team rocket fans are wondering 'where the hell are they?'.

My answer is 'secreeet'. Don't worry I'll be addressing it sometime in the future of this story but after Ash and Serena made enough contact with team flare first. I have my reasons as to why team rocket is currently mia.

Okay that's about all the notes for now. I'll see you guys in the next installment.


	8. Chapter 8

Holy crap, eighty something reviews! You guys effin rule :'D Writing everyday after work and school has been totally worth it! I feel like a Disney character that's about to break out in song. :D

(Sniff) it means I'm reaching my quota for a-hundred reviews, I'm almost there.

Anyway, I'd like to thank all you reviewers and hope for your continued support! :)

CHAPTER VIII: Santalune showdown!

Alt. title (s) would be: Time for a true display of skills!

 _Last time: " I'll be looking forward to our battle tomorrow!"_

" _Ahaha. Same here! Fair warning though, even if I'm using a reserve team, we'll be coming at you a hundred-and-ten percent! I'm not one to hold back!"_

 _And now:_

One Serena Yvonne then let out a small happy hum as she gently brushed her long blonde hair while admiring herself in the mirror. "…twenty-nine, aaand thirty! Perfect!"

The honey colored blonde then blinked once she heard the familiar cries of her starter Pokemon. Turning her head around, she also noted how the small fox was giving her own version of the puppy-dog look to her.

Plastering a concerned look on her face, the young female trainer was quick to kneel down and meet the fire type's gaze. "What's the matter Fennekin? Is something wrong?"

Said Pokemon then let out another small whine as she began gesturing to the nearby wall-clock of their rented room with the use of her snout.

A metaphorical light-bulb then appeared over Serena's head as she noted the current time and quickly realized what her starter Pokemon was trying to say. "Oh it's eight-thirty already! Sorry about that Fennekin, I didn't realize! Don't worry, I promise we'll head down to the cafeteria right away. Just give me a few seconds to get my stuff ready, alright?"

Seeing the much smaller fox nod happily in response, the honey colored blonde absentmindedly petted the top of her head before she proceeded to grab her pink bag from the nearby coffee table.

"Alright, that's that! Let's go get some grub Fennekin!"

"Fen!"

Once she was done locking up, Serena immediately took notice of the door that was right across her own room and couldn't help but smile softly as her thoughts slowly shifted to a certain raven haired youth. 'I'm glad that after all this time, he's still the same old Ash I remember. The same kind hearted boy who always looked out for me…'

The old memory of their fateful reunion then briefly played over inside her head as a strange feeling of comfort began to spread all over her body…

"Okay Totodile, like we trained for! Use Hydro pump!"

"To-to! Dileeee!"

Blinking at the familiar exuberant cry, the blonde was quick to find the source by going to a nearby window.

The young female trainer then smiled in a bemused manner as she saw her old childhood friend down on the Pokemon center's training field. Beside the raven haired youth was his dancing Totodile. 'Well what'ya know. Speak of the devil, there he is right now.'

Cupping both her hands together near her mouth, Serena was quick to make her presence known with an excited grin on her face. "Hey Ash! Ash, over here!"

Said young man then beamed happily once he figured out it was the honey colored blonde's voice that was calling out to him. "Oh cool! Serena, you're awake! You gotta check this out! Totodile finally learned Hydro Pump!" The pride of Pallet town then grinned towards the Johto native as he made sure to give him the signal. "You up for a demonstration, buddy?"

The blue reptile then thumped his chest in a confident manner before he shifted his sights on another giant boulder and narrowed his eyes in complete focus.

Totodile then proceeded to take a deep breath before he unleashed a powerful jet of water that managed to put his old Water gun attack to shame. It was even strong enough to eventually shatter the much larger target in a matter of seconds.

Both Serena and Fennekin couldn't help but gasp in awe at the incredible feat while Ash simply gave his Pokemon a subtle thumbs up. "Heh. Good job Totodile, that was awesome! What'ya think, Serena? Pretty cool, right?"

Letting out a small whistle of approval, said honey colored blonde couldn't help but agree as she felt happy for her friend's chances of winning get better and better in her opinion. "That's great Ash! Viola and her squad won't know what hit her."

Ash then grinned in excitement as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Ahehe. Thanks Serena, that means a lot!" The raven haired youth's expression then shifted as he sent the female trainer a more concerned look. "I…Uh hope we didn't bother you too much with our training. Me and Totodile were just really excited for our battle later."

Sending the raven haired youth a reassuring smile, Serena was quick to put his fears to rest. "Hehe. No worries Ash, I was already up awhile ago anyway. I was actually on my way to the cafeteria, wanna join me?"

The male trainer's brown eyes then practically sparkled at the mere opportunity of eating and he couldn't help the small bit of drool that escaped his mouth afterwards. "Heck yeah! I'm starving! I can't wait to dig in to their big stack of flapjacks! I am so there!"

Serena then giggled a bit before she gave a quick wave to the raven haired youth below. "Alright then, I'll see you downstairs!"

'Yup. The more things change, the more they definitely stay the same.'

-(scene change)-

A certain young man then smirked as he gazed at the entrance of a giant greenhouse. Nearby, was a sign that clearly stated 'Santalune city gym'. "Alright, it's finally time for my first Kalos gym battle! This is gonna be awesome!"

Beside him, a small yellow rodent mimicked his trainer's expression as he crossed both his arms in a confident manner as well.

As for their companion, Serena couldn't help but silently gulp as she stared at the imposing building once more. The blonde then felt herself shiver a bit as she tried to fight back the goosebumps. "I can't believe you're that excited Ash. Maybe it's the way you and Viola talked yesterday but I'm really getting a different feeling from the gym today…"

The female trainer then bit her lip as she made sure to follow her old friend through the front doors. 'Even the flowers don't seem as bright and full of life when you compared them to yesterday's…'

In response, Ash simply sent the honey colored blonde a reassuring grin. "I guess I'm just used to the whole pressure thing when it comes to gym battles. Trust me Serena, me and my squad can handle whatever Viola dishes out to us!"

Sighing a bit in relief, said female trainer mimicked the raven haired youth's expression and grinned as well. "Well that's a relief to hear…," Quickly realizing something, the blonde then flushed a bit as she guiltily turned her head away. "A-And I'm sorry. I didn't meant what I said to come off as completely hopeless. I really do believe in you Ash."

Smiling softly, Ash then gently placed a reassuring hand on the honey colored blonde's shoulder. "Ahehe No worries Serena, I understand. You were just looking out for me like when we were still kids at Pallet town."

Serena then felt a little bit better as she decided to meet the raven haired youth's comforting gaze once more. "Thanks Ash, I'm glad that there's no hard feelings between us."

The Pallet town trainer then gave the blonde before him a cheery thumbs up, complete with his signature grin. "Like I said before Serena, you're a good friend of mine and what kind of friend would I be if don't try to reach out and understand? After all, if its one thing that I've learned throughout my journey's, is that bonds aren't something you can break that easily."

The pride of Pallet town didn't seem to notice how his female companion stopped a bit in order to stare at his back with a strange look on her face.

It was a mix between pride and a little bit of…envy.

It was then that Serena knew that her earlier assessment of the raven haired youth was completely wrong. 'He's changed…He's still the same Ash but there's something different about him as well,' The honey colored blonde then smiled softly as she noted how broad his shoulder's were. Shoulder's that belonged to a young man and not a young boy. 'He's more…mature now I guess. The same confidence and kindness when we were kids is still there but it feels like there's more conviction to it than before…'

"Someday, I want to stand at the same place where you are too…" She softly whispered.

"Hm? Did you say something Serena?"

Grinning cheekily a bit, said blonde just simply stuck her tongue out in response. "Ahehe. It's top secret Ash~"

Stopping in his tracks for a few moments, the raven haired youth then felt his curiosity got the better of him as he crossed his arms in disbelief towards the female trainer. "Aw c'mon Serena, that's not fair. Now you've gone and made me more curious!"

Shaking her head as a sign of no, the honey colored blonde just opted to quickly walk further down the hallway while shooting another impish grin to her old friend. "Better luck next time Ash. After all, it wouldn't be much of a secret if I just told you, right?"

Ash then simply shook his head in a bemused manner before he decided to pick up the pace as well.

The Pallet town trainer then turned his attention over to his starter Pokemon who was briskly walking on all fours by his side. "Sometimes, girls really confuse me buddy."

"Pi-Pikachu..."

"Hey, I'm not that dense!"

The small electric type then proceeded to give his trainer a half-lidded stare to show his skepticism on the subject at hand.

Ash then felt his one eye twitch as he saw his starter Pokemon went ahead and followed his old childhood friend's lead. "Hey Pikachu, get back here! I'm telling you, I'm not that dense! C'mon buddy, I'm serious here!"

-(scene change)-

A certain sandy colored blonde then smirked as she saw her opponent finally made his entrance on the opposite side of the battlefield. "It's good to see you Ash. I know you already know my name but for formalities sake, let me reintroduce myself. I'm the Santalune city gym leader-slash-professional photographer, Viola at your service!"

Eager to rise up to the opposition, the pride of Pallet town was quick to return the blonde's greeting with his very own. "Alright then! My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet town and I'm here to win!"

Viola then grinned in excitement before she proceeded to grab a spare Pokeball from her belt and held it towards the raven haired youth's direction. "Heh, you can certainly try Ash!," The much older blonde then hurled the red and white sphere high into the air with great zeal. ", But I'm not gonna make it easy for ya! Let's show 'em what we got Scyther!"

On the sidelines, Serena whimpered a bit once she accidentally locked eyes with the mantis-like Pokemon. 'That is one scary bug type…' The honey colored blonde then proceeded to subconsciously pull out her own Pokedex.

" _Scyther, the mantis Pokemon(BUG/FLYING). Its claws are sharp as swords, and it is a powerful flyer. This Pokemon is rarely seen by humans and almost never captured. It's signature moves are Swords dance and Slash."_

Meanwhile, Ash nodded to his own Pokedex before he unclipped his own Pokeball with a determined grin etched on his face. "A Scyther huh? It's been awhile since I've faced one of those, let's do this Bulbasaur!"

Once the seed Pokemon fully materialized, the small grass type then smirked back at the much larger 'mon as the green mantis tried to intimidate him by brandishing the two wicked blades that were acting as his opponent's arms.

The giant monitor on the sidelines then automatically lit up once both combatants were ready and rearing to go. Underneath Ash and Viola's pictures were three Pokeballs that signified their entire party.

" _This is a gym battle between Santalune gym leader-Viola and the challenger-Ash! This will be a three-on-three single battle. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute his or her Pokemon. Trainers…Begin!"_

And with that, Viola was quick to take the lead with a wave of her hand. "Let's close the gap Scyther! Use Agility!"

With quick footwork, the mantis like Pokemon took off at great speeds towards his target. To the untrained eye, the bug type was nothing but a green blur.

Unfortunately for them, Ash's Bulbasaur may be rusty but he was still one of the few members of his trainer's squad that were specifically trained to counter speedy opponents.

"Fight back with your Sweet scent Bulbasaur! Let 'em have it!"

The seed Pokemon then proceeded to unleash a thick pink smoke from his giant bulb that was enough to conceal everything on his side of the field.

Seeing the obstacle, Viola and her Pokemon's smirk widened even further as they continued their charge regardless of the field's current state. "That's not gonna be enough to stop us Ash! Scyther, show them your Slash attack!"

Ash's brown eyes then widened a bit as he saw how the mantis like Pokemon was cleaving through the smoke with fast and precise strikes. The Pallet town trainer also noted that with every slash, the bug type was also producing a strong enough air current that prevented the surrounding smoke to reach his senses.

With a flourish of his right hand, the raven haired youth was quick to make his counterattack. "On my signal Bulbasaur, use your Vine whip! We're going with _that_ maneuver!"

Viola then quirked her one eyebrow in interest as she took note on how on earth would a simple vine whip would help her opponent out of his current situation. 'He can't be serious can he…? Just what does he have under his sleeve?'

The sandy colored blonde then felt herself grin once she saw her Pokemon cleared the rest of the smoke and finally locked eyes with his target. 'Whatever it is, there's no way he's dodging Scyther's next attack!' Pumping her fist in excitement, the much older trainer was quick to pick up the pace. "You've got this Scyther! Turn that Slash into your X-Scissor!"

"Now Bulbasaur! Vine whip!"

To everyone's shock except for Ash, the much smaller seed Pokemon then used both his vine whips to slam the ground hard. The aftershock was actually strong enough to propel the grass type high into the air.

As for Viola, the blonde could only blanch a bit at the improbable maneuver. 'Okay I didn't see that one coming…'

Grinning excitedly, Ash was quick to lead the charge this time with a wave of his right hand. "Now strike 'em down with Razor leaf!"

Bulbasaur was quick to mirror his trainer's expression before he proceeded to unleash wave after wave of razor sharp leaves from his giant bulb.

In response, Scyther simply narrowed his eyes in determination before he met the attack head on with his blades glowing with unrestrained power. What followed was breathtaking in its own way as the mantis like Pokemon was able to cut every single one of them into two.

The raven haired youth then clicked his tongue in slight disappointment but was nonetheless deterred. Steeling himself, the Pallet town trainer was quick to make his next move in retaliation. "Alright then, try a takedown attack Bulbasaur!"

With a slight smirk on her face, Viola wasn't about to give up either. "Nice try Ash but this time, I know exactly what you're trying to pull! Scyther, use Double team!"

Back on the battlefield, just as Bulbasaur was about to land his attack from up above. Scyther, the more faster between the two, was able to outmaneuver the attack in the nick of time.

The Seed Pokemon then widened his grin even further once he saw the subtle nod of approval from his trainer.

With a loud cry that was signature to his species, the Kanto grass type then summoned one of his signature vine whips and proceeded to swing them in a wide arc that managed to dissolve every single one of Scyther's clones before it finally landed a direct hit

Letting out a cry of pain from the unexpected attack, Scyther then narrowed his eyes in anger as he slowly swished around a loose fang in his mouth before he finally spat it out to the ground below.

The mantis like Pokemon then hissed towards Bulbasaur's direction as he brandished his blade-arms in a threatening manner once more.

In response, the seed Pokemon simply smirked back and used one of his vines in a 'come at me' motion.

-(scene change)-

Back on the sidelines, a certain honey colored blonde could only look on in awe at the fast paced battle before her. 'Whoaaa…Ash is…Ash is amazing! I knew he was a good trainer from winning the league alone but seeing him battle up close is something else!'

Serena also noted with every command that the raven haired youth issued, she could practically feel the sheer confidence behind every word spoken.

The blonde couldn't help but smile softly once more as she remembered her previous thoughts. 'He really has come a long way from the boy I knew…the sheer belief in his dreams now is nothing compared to when we were kids.'

The rookie trainer then clenched her fists on the railing as a strange feeling started to work its way through her chest. She felt…determined.

"I don't want to be just left behind. I…I wanna become a better trainer…no a better person too. I want to stay by his side as an equal and not just as another tag-along…"

-(scene change)-

Viola then narrowed her eyes at the slight bruise on her Pokemon's cheek and was quick to retaliate back. "Don't let up now Scyther! Close in again with your Slash attack!"

Pumping his one fist in excitement, Ash wasn't about to just stand idly by and immediately initiated his own counterattack back. "Then we better not give them that chance Bulbasaur! Keep 'em away with Vine whip!"

What followed was another amazing feat as the small Kanto grass type was trading blows with the much larger Pokemon.

Scyther's blades and Bulbasaur's vine whips were currently at a stalemate. With every vine that the mantis like Pokemon managed to cut off, another would simply just take its place.

The bug type then gritted his teeth as he felt his fatigue grew even further when he noted in utter disbelief that he was losing the trade of blows to a mere grass type of all things.

It was only a matter of time before he slipped up and slipped up he did. Both Viola and her Pokemon could only gasp when Bulbasaur managed to wrap his vines around the bug type's forearms.

Grinning in excitement, the Pallet town trainer was quick to put the golden opportunity before him to use. "You know what to do Bulbasaur! Let's give Viola's Scyther one heck of a ride!"

Before the sandy colored blonde could even call out to her Pokemon, Ash's Bulbasaur managed to lift up the marginally larger bug type into the air before he proceeded to swing his opponent around like a rag doll and ended it by slamming him onto the ground.

The following impact was even strong enough to create a small crater and it wasn't long before the mantis like Pokemon fell unconscious.

" _Scyther is unable to battle! The winner is Bulbasaur! Gym leader Viola, please send out your next Pokemon for battle!"_

Viola then let out a low sigh as she recalled her fallen bug type, the sandy colored blonde then smiled softly as she gently whispered to the red and white sphere. "You did a good job out there Scyther. Rest easy for now."

The much older blonde then gave her opponent a slight smirk as she plucked another spare Pokeball from her belt. "I gotta say Ash, that's one heck of a Bulbasaur you've got there but let's see how you handle my next choice!" And with that, Viola was quick to show off her next Pokemon. "Let's go Heracross!"

The beetle like Pokemon then materialized on the field before it unleashed a proud warrior like cry, unique to its species.

Ash then grinned as he recognized the familiar Johto native before he silently swapped out Bulbasaur for his next choice. 'Switching from speed to power huh?' "Then it's all on you Totodile! Let's do this!"

The small blue reptile then did his signature dance before he finally settled into a more proper fighting stance once he heard his opponent gave him a loud snort, as if mocking him.

Narrowing his eyes, the water type simply stuck his tongue out in response while making a rude gesture towards the marginally larger bug type.

-(scene change)-

On the sidelines, a large bead of sweat then rolled down the back of Serena's head as she stared at the spectacle before her. "Totodile really does have a knack for getting into trouble huh?"

Once more, the honey colored blonde then subconsciously pulled out her own Pokedex and pointed it towards the beetle like Pokemon.

" _Heracross, the single horn Pokemon (BUG/FIGHTING). Usually gentle and docile, Heracross possesses great strength and power. Their favorite food is the fresh sap of leafy trees. It's signature moves include various horn attacks and its unique fighting prowess such as Arm thrust and Brick break."_

Serena then felt herself sweat a bit as she accidentally locked eyes with Heracross. "Geez and the powerhouses just keep on coming. Viola wasn't kidding when she said she was going all out for today's match."

The much younger blonde then blinked in utter shock when one of her Pokeballs from the inside of her bag, opened itself and released her starter Pokemon right beside her. "Fennekin? What's wrong? Are you hungry or something?"

The small fire type then began to gesture towards the battlefield with the use of her snout and Serena couldn't help but giggle a bit once she finally figured out what her Pokemon was trying to say. "Oh I get it, you want to help cheer on Ash and Totodile with me?"

A happy cry was her response and the honey colored blonde smiled brightly in return before she proceeded to cup both her hands near her mouth. "Go Ash! Go Totodile, you guys can do it!"

"Fen! Fennekin!"

-(scene change)-

Back on the battlefield, Ash and Totodile returned the gesture with a slight grin on both their faces before they returned their focus towards Viola and her own Pokemon. "You hear that buddy? Let's do our best! Are you with me?"

In response, the Johto native simply sent him a familiar thumbs up that somewhat mimicked his own.

" _Trainer Ash has sent out Totodile! Gym leader Viola has sent out Heracross! The battle will resume in three, two, one…GO!"_

With a wave of his hand, the raven haired youth was quick to lead the charge this time. "Let's start things off with a Water gun attack, Totodile!"

Taking a deep breath, the small blue reptile then unleashed his signature attack towards a smirking Heracross, much to their confusion.

Mimicking her Pokemon's expression, Viola was quick to unveil her own counterattack. "Nice try Ash but I think it's time we show you how strong bug types really are! Heracross, use Arm thrust!"

Then much to Ash's shock, the blue beetle Pokemon then started to rapidly punch the stream of water until Totodile was forced to finally relinquish his own attack out of exhaustion. 'No way! Talk about power! She wasn't kidding!'

The sandy colored blonde then crossed her arms as she sent the Kanto native an impish grin. "Well, what'ya say Ash? Impressed?"

Adjusting the rim of his cap, Ash was quick to return his opponent's expression with his very own excited grin. "Okay then, if you want power then we'll give you power! Totodile, use Hydro pump!"

Narrowing his eyes in focus for a few moments, the small blue reptile then unleashed a stronger version of his previous water gun attack.

Seeing the opposition, Viola simply pumped her one fist in excitement as she unveiled her next plan of attack. "Then we'll gladly kick it up a notch as well! Heracross, use Close combat!"

The beetle like Pokemon then lighted all four of his limbs in a whitish aura before he proceeded to punch and kick the powerful stream of water until the same process repeated all over again.

Ash then gritted his teeth in frustration before a metaphorical light bulb then appeared over his head and the raven haired youth slowly smirked as he ironed out the new plan forming inside his mind. 'It just might work. It's time we use that strength against her!'

With a dramatic wave of his right hand, the pride of pallet town resumed his charge once more. "I think it's time we turned the tables around! Totodile, close in with your Slash attack! I wanna see you _**loose it**_ out there, ya hear me?! Go wild!"

Viola's green eyes then widened in shock as she watched her opponent charge towards their direction in a reckless manner. 'He can't be serious! Does he really think that he can match my Heracross' fighting prowess with just a Totodile?! Heck, I'm not a water type expert but those kinds of Pokemon aren't exactly famous for direct melee combat…'

The sandy colored blonde then shook her head for a few moments before she finally decided to just meet the Pallet town trainer's charge head on. "I don't know what you're trying to pull here Ash but we're not just gonna stand by either! Heracross, use Close combat!"

What followed next was amazing in its own way, whereas the first match was a battle of skill and precision, Totodile and Heracross was a contest of strength and power. The amazing part was that the blue reptile was doing his best in keeping up with the beetle like Pokemon's heavy blows.

It was only when both Pokemon landed their final strike that Viola finally noticed that there was something wrong with the water type's eyes. They were actually glowing an eerie red color…

The much older blonde's eyes then widened in disbelief as she recalled the raven haired youth's previous command. "Of course! You had your Totodile use Rage! All this time, you were using Heracross' own strength against him!"

Ash then simply smirked in response as he nodded his head in confirmation. "Yup, you caught me Viola! And from the looks of it, we're one good hit away from winning this! Let's end this Totodile, use Hydro pump!"

Letting out a slight gasp, Viola was quick to try one last gambit for her Pokemon's sake. "Don't give them that chance Heracross! Use Close combat!"

Summoning all his remaining will power, the beetle like Pokemon then roared to the heavens before he tried to push back the opposing attack despite his weary state. With each strike, he was getting closer and closer to Totodile's side of the field.

As for the blue reptile, he clenched both his claws tight as he tried to pour more power into his attack but was unfortunately drawing a blank.

The water type then closed his eyes in frustration and silently cursed himself inside his mind as he felt his resolve falter…

"C'mon pal, I know you're stronger than this! You can do it!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

The Johto native then opened his eyes once more as he recognized the voice of his trainer-slash-master and fellow comrade cheering him on.

"Yeah Totodile, we believe in you! You can win this!"

"Fen-Fennekin!"

Time seemingly slowed down as said reptile noticed from the corner of his field of vision were Fennekin and her own trainer as well. Both of them were cheering their hardest.

A strange feeling then started to work its way through his chest, it was odd to say the least.

He was always the comedy relief or the guy who usually takes it easy. It was even evident with his track record of battles alone, not a lot of victories there…

So why was he still trying when he could just give up and battle again for another day?

With a start, the Johto native finally realized he was actually _frustrated_. He was frustrated of losing most of the time, he was frustrated of being weak and he was _**frustrated**_ of always being left behind all the time…

The memory of his fellow comrades who were fighting their hardest in the Sinnoh league suddenly came to the front of his mind before a familiar fire began to gleam in his eyes.

He didn't even seem to notice a familiar glow that slowly encased his entire form as he was too busy strengthening his current attack…

-(scene change)-

Serena felt her jaw drop at the somewhat familiar sight as she gazed at Totodile's previous tiny form. "No way! Is he…"

-(scene change)-

"He's evolving!" Gaped Viola.

Ash then beamed proudly towards his newly evolved water type as he subconsciously pulled out his Pokedex once the lightshow finally died down.

" _Croconaw, the big jaw Pokemon, and the evolved form of Totodile (WATER). It open its mouth wide and attacks, and if it loses its teeth, they regrow quickly."_

Snapping his Pokedex shut, the raven haired youth then gave the blue reptile his signature thumbs up. "You rule Totodi-I mean Croconaw! Now let's end this buddy! You got this!"

In response, the red tips of the reptile's spikes glowed with unrestrained power before he doubled the size and strength of his Hydro pump attack and before Heracross knew it, he was immediately overwhelmed and it wasn't long before he finally blacked out.

" _Heracross is unable to battle! The winner is Croconaw! Gym leader Viola, please send out your remaining Pokemon for battle!"_

Letting out a few ragged breaths, the blue reptile then blinked in shock before he proceeded to look over his new form in utter fascination.

"Way to go Croconaw! I knew you could do it!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

With a jolt, the Johto native then grinned brightly once he turned his head towards his trainer and fellow teammate. Without any hesitation, the big jaw Pokemon was quick to meet them with an enthusiastic hug of his own.

Both Ash and Pikachu were more than glad to return their comrade's gesture as the water type seemed more happier than usual from his come-from-behind win. "Ahehe. Yeah buddy, we saw you out there. There was never any doubt that we knew you could win!"

"Pikachu!"

Croconaw seemed to tear up a bit and the same feeling of frustration from before was replaced with something else. It was…satisfaction and new sense of pride.

He finally took the first step in standing tall alongside his fellow comrades as they journey on the road to becoming legends.

The blue reptile then clenched his fists in a determined fashion as he briefly shifted his attention towards the blue sky up above.

'Yup. That doesn't sound too bad…Legends huh? I'd like that. I'd like that a lot…'

-(scene change)-

On Viola's side of the field, the sandy colored blonde then smiled softly as she stared at the trio's interaction with each other. 'He's really something else. If I didn't know any better, the way he interacts with his Pokemon, would've made me thought he was just another rookie. A lot of other veteran trainers tend to forget that and they become a different person entirely…'

The much older female then started clapping her hands as she silently recalled her fallen Pokemon. "That was a great battle Ash, I can see why you've earned your title as this year's Sinnoh league champ!" Viola then smirked as she unclipped her last Pokeball and held it towards the raven haired youth's direction. "But this battle is far from over! Let's go Masquerain, I'm counting on you!"

Once the gym leader's final Pokemon materialized, Ash was quick to pull out his Pokedex again.

" _Masquerain, the eyeball Pokemon (BUG/FLYING). Masquerain is the evolved form of Surskit. Its feelers, which resembles eyeballs, help to throw off opponents. It is able to hover in the sky like a helicopter."_

Nodding at the new piece of info, the pride of Pallet town then silently recalled Croconaw back to his lureball for a well deserved rest before he nodded towards to his starter Pokemon with an excited grin on his face. "I think it's time we ended things with a bang, what'ya say Pikachu? You up for it?"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

The small rodent was more than glad to return his trainer's nod and he immediately darted off to the battlefield with great haste. Once he got into position, the Kanto native then sent his opponent a fearsome grin that was rare to his species.

" _Trainer Ash has sent out Pikachu! Gym leader Viola has sent out Masquerain! The battle will resume in three, two, one…GO!"_

With a wave of her right hand, Viola was quick to lead the charge this time. "Alright Masquerain, let's start things off with your Hydro pump attack!"

The Hoenn native then focused all his energy at the tip of his feelers before he unleashed a giant stream of water that was on par with Croconaw's own version of the attack.

Seeing the incoming opposition, Ash simply smirked as he crossed his arms in a confident manner. "Let's meet them head on Pikachu! Use agility!"

Viola felt her one eyebrow raise at the unusual tactic once more. 'What's he planning now?' Gritting her teeth, the sandy colored blonde was quick to focus back on the matter at hand. "Don't lose sight of them Masquerain! Keep up the attack!"

Snapping his fingers all of a sudden, the pride of Pallet town was quick to unveil his next move in response. "Now Pikachu! _ **Spin**_!"

" _ **What…?!**_ "

The sandy colored blonde then felt her jaw drop when the Kanto Pokemon, gracefully outmaneuvered her Masquerain's Hydro pump by literally spinning in midair while firing a fully charged thunderbolt at the same time.

Viola then winced once she saw her Pokemon's current state. Judging from all the static electricity that sparked all over his body, the bug type was seriously paralyzed at the moment.

Pumping his fist in excitement, Ash wasn't done yet and was quick to make his next move. "Way to go buddy! Let's make it two-for-two! Try another Thunderbolt!"

Gritting her teeth, the much older female immediately retaliated with her own countermeasure. "Not so fast Ash! Masquerain, use Protect!"

Like its pre-evolved form yesterday, the Hoenn native was quick to summon his own version of a protective green barrier in response.

Viola then breathed out a sigh of relief once she saw the electric attack was completely nullified, judging from the explosion that followed, it was a pretty good call or else the match would've been all over already.

The sandy colored blonde then narrowed her eyes in determination as she steeled herself for her next move. "Cover the field with Blizzard, Masquerain!"

Ash then clicked his tongue in annoyance as he tried to shield himself from the harsh cold. "A stronger version of Surskit's ice beam huh? Pikachu, wait for my signal! For now, use Iron tail to anchor yourself to the ground!"

Said rodent then gritted his teeth as he did his best in enduring the cold blustering winds. Thankfully, it wasn't long and once the electric type opened his black eyes, the entire field was covered in ice.

The Kanto electric type then snorted a bit and looked to his trainer for approval on what to do next.

Grinning slightly, Ash gave his starter Pokemon a subtle nod in response.

As for Viola, the much older female didn't seem to notice the gesture and just decided to make her next move post haste. "He's got nowhere to go now Masquerain! Use Signal beam!"

The bug type then proceeded to fire a multi-colored beam from the tip of its feeler like antenna's towards his seemingly helpless opponent.

"Now buddy! It's go time!"

Pikachu then simply took off like a rocket by actually dropping down to his stomach and sliding on the ice at incredible speeds.

Viola felt her jaw drop once more as she stared at the raven haired youth's newest improbable maneuver. "W-What?! No way! Masquerain, keep firing those signal beams! There's no way he can dodge that well while on the ice!"

The sandy colored blonde then blanched when she was forced to eat her own words when she saw the electric type proceeded to prove her wrong by using his Iron tail attack as an anchor to make sharp and fast turns.

" _ **What?!**_ "

Ash then smirked as he crossed his arms once more. "Alright Pikachu, let's end this! Slide underneath Masquerain!"

Not fully recovered yet, Viola wasn't able to properly react in time to the raven haired youth's plan. "Wait…what?! Masquerain, get out of there!"

The Pallet town trainer then pumped his one fist in excitement as he made sure not to miss the golden opportunity before him. "Too late Viola! Pikachu, use Iron tail to jump yourself into the air!"

Said electric type then proceeded to slam the ground below him with the use of his hardened tail, the following aftershock was strong enough to propel the rodent into the air and much to Viola's shock, the yellow rodent then grabbed ahold of Masquerain's smaller body.

The sandy colored blonde then gasped in horror as she realized the raven haired youth's plan. 'No! Now we can't even use protect at this distance! He's way too close!'

With a dramatic wave of his hand, the pride of Pallet town was quick to give his final command. "Light 'em up with Thunder, Pikachu!"

What followed was an impressive sight as the roof of the greenhouse was shattered by a huge column of light, thanks to the awe-inspiring Thunder attack that followed.

After the dust cleared, a defeated Masquerain lied on the ground, completely knocked out while a victorious Pikachu stood triumphant with a proud grin on his yellow face.

" _Masquerain is unable to battle! Gym leader Viola has run out of usable Pokemon! The winner of this gym battle is trainer-Ash Ketchum of Pallet town!"_

CHAPTER VIII: END

To be continued in: New friends and…old rivals?!

Aaand cut! That's another chapter down, hope you guys enjoyed it and let me know through the reviews :)

Anyway I'm sorry that it took so long but like I said in the previous chapter, college already started up and I'm a little busy with my current schedule. Not to mention I also have a job and it's a wonder I still make time for writing.

But hey, like I mentioned before, totally worth it thanks to you reviewers.

Well that's about it, here are some of the usual notes before I clock out.

a.)I want to explain the alt title a little bit and that my goal was to show that Ash still retained a lot of his previous skill from his past journey's. (e.g. using Bulbasaur's vine whip to wipe out illusionary clones, Pikachu maneuvering on ice and finally that spin tactic from Sinnoh)

Yes this is a jab against canon since the anime just opted to reboot Ash every season so it looks like that he has amnesia. Since this is a fanfic, I will be ignoring that particular anime plot device.

b.)I want to reassure everyone again that Ash will not be God-like. This chapter was just to showcase his experience as a trainer, future fights will definitely get harder and harder.

There's a reason why I called this story 'Break the limits'.

Ash, Serena, and even their Pokemon will be put to the test by the many challenges they'll face on their journey.

c.)Just want to say that I will not accept OC trainers. Sorry guys, too be honest, I see no reason to add oc's when the Pokemon universe has a vast amount of characters I could just call upon. Whether they be anime, manga, and game verse. The sky's the limit so why bother with oc's?


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